Continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid

US5883288A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Gabriele Iffland · Heidelberg, DE
• Albrecht Dams · Monsheim, DE
• Alexander Weck · Freinsheim, DE
• Heinrich Aichinger · Mannheim, DE
• Holger Herbst · Bischofswerda, DE
• Gerhard Nestler · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Herbert Exner · Waldsee, DE
• Willi Schmidt · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Matthias Geisendorfer · Neustadt, DE
• Toni Dockner

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 1997
• Grant date: Mar 16, 1999
• Expiry date: Jan 28, 2017

Classification

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

Abstract

In the process for the continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with monohydric alkanols having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of an acid esterification catalyst in a reaction zone, there is discharged from the reaction zone a product mixture which comprises the alkyl (meth)acrylate formed, the catalyst and the by-products formed during the course of the esterification having boiling points higher than that of the alkyl (meth)acrylate, and from which the alkyl (meth)acrylate is separated by distillation in a separation zone. The product mixture discharged from the reaction zone is fed to a rectification unit (I), in this unit the product mixture discharged is separated by rectification into at least one product (I) comprising the alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid and a product (II) comprising the catalyst, the product (I) is fed to a further rectification unit (II) and in this the alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid is separated off by rectification.