ESTERIFICATION OF (METH)ACRYLIC ACID WITH AN ALKANOL

摘要

In a process for esterifying (meth)acrylic acid with an alkanol in the presence of an esterification catalyst, in which unconverted starting compounds and the (meth)acrylate to be formed are separated off by distillation and an oxyester-containing bottom product is formed, the bottom product is first separated off, the oxyesters contained therein are then separated off by distillation and the resulting distillate is cleaved in the presence of acids atelevated temperatures. The process can be carried out im the presence of molecular oxygen. The distillate is cleaved at from 170 to 250.degree.C, prefera-bly from 180 to 230.degree.C.