Continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth) acrylic acid

US5734074A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Toni Dockner
• Herbert Exner · Waldsee, DE
• Karl Baur · Baierbrunn, DE
• Christiane Potthoff · Dortmund, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 20, 1996
• Grant date: Mar 31, 1998
• Expiry date: Mar 20, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C67/08
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The continuous esterification of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkanol with (meth)acrylic acid in a molar ratio of from 1:1 to 2:1 in the presence of proton-donating catalysts in a homogeneous, liquid, solvent-free phase, in which the water of reaction and resulting alkyl (meth)acrylate are separated off continuously as part of an aqueous azeotropic mixture via the top of a rectification zone attached to the reaction zone, at a top pressure of from 0.1 to 1 atm, and worked up to give pure (meth)acrylate, is carried out by a process wherein the reaction temperature is from 100.degree. to 150.degree. C., the residence time is from 1 to 5 hours and from 5 to 20% by weight, based on the amount of reaction mixture, of sulfuric acid or an equimolar amount, based on such an amount of sulfuric acid, of an organic sulfonic acid is added as a protic acid catalyst to the reaction mixture present in the reaction zone.