Continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid

US6072076A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Willi Schmidt · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Matthias Geisendorfer · Neustadt, DE
• Alexander Weck · Freinsheim, DE
• Toni Dockner
• Holger Herbst · Bischofswerda, DE
• Gerhard Nestler · Ludwigshafen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 27, 1997
• Grant date: Jun 6, 2000
• Expiry date: Jan 27, 2017

Classification

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

Abstract

In a process for the continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with alkanols having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in a homogeneous, liquid, solvent-free phase at elevated temperature and in the presence of an acid esterification catalyst, in which the (meth)acrylic acid, the alkanol and the acid catalyst are fed to a reaction zone, the water formed is removed by rectification during a residence time as constituent of a mixture comprising starting alkanol in a rectification unit (III) superposed on the reaction zone, the distillate obtained is separated into an organic phase comprising alkanol and an aqueous phase comprising water, the organic phase is essentially completely returned to the rectification unit (III), the reaction mixture is discharged from the reaction zone and conveyed into a distillative separation zone comprising further rectification units and in the latter the alkyl (meth)acrylate formed is separated off. PA1 a) (Meth)acrylic acid and alkanol are reacted in a molar ratio of from 1:0.75 to 1:2, b) part of the aqueous phase obtained at the top of the rectification unit (III) is returned to the rectification unit, c) the…