Improvements in or relating to the production of ethyl acrylate

摘要

The process of the parent Specification for the production of ethyl acrylate in which ethyl acetate is used as entrainer is characterized in that ethyl acetate is recovered from the overhead fraction and is recycled with the feed in such an amount as to maintain a concentration of water in the reaction mixture of between 8 and 12% by weight. The ethyl acetate is preferably recovered from the overhead fraction by azeotropic distillation or by extractive distillation followed by separation of the esters from the resulting fraction. An example is given.