Methacrylic] acid esterification with alkanol for alkyl methacrylate]

摘要

A process for esterifying (meth)acrylic acid with an alkanol in the presence of esterification catalyst comprises: (i) sepg. unreacted starting materials and the ester obtd. by distn., and (ii) producing a bottom prod. contg. an oxy-ester. The bottom prod. is isolated and processed by: (a) direct treatment with oligomeric (meth)acrylic acid (I) followed by heating in the presence of acid catalysts other than (I) to effect cleavage of the oxy-ester, or (b) sepn. of the oxy-ester by distn., followed by treatment of the distillate with (I) and thermal cleavage as above.