PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF METHACRYLIC ACID ESTERS

摘要

A process for preparing a methacrylic acid ester by reacting methacrylic acid with a lower aliphatic alcohol in the liquid phase using a solid acid catalyst at a molar ratio of alcohol to methacrylic acid of 1.2-3.0 and a reaction temperature of 70 DEG -100 DEG C. is improved by (1) extracting the unreacted alcohol from the reaction mixture with an aqueous solvent at a temperature of 25 DEG to 70 DEG C., (2) removing the low boiling substances from the extraction residual mixture by distillation, whereby an organic residue is generated containing methacrylic acid ester and unreacted methacrylic acid, and (3) separating the unreacted methacrylic acid and the methacrylic acid ester by distillation.