	US 11,981,951 B2
	Process for the production of methyl methacrylate
Graham Ronald Eastham, Redcar (GB); Zoe Bethany Clare Disley, Nottingham (GB); David William Johnson, Redcar (GB); Gill Stephens, Nottingham (GB); and Mark Waugh, Redcar (GB)
Assigned to Mitsubishi Chemical UK Limited, Billingham (GB)
Appl. No. 16/463,089
Filed by Mitsubishi Chemical UK Limited, Billingham (GB)
PCT Filed Nov. 22, 2017, PCT No. PCT/GB2017/053500 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 22, 2019, PCT Pub. No. WO2018/096326, PCT Pub. Date May 31, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 1619827 (GB), filed on Nov. 23, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0284587 A1, Sep. 19, 2019
Int. Cl. C12P 7/62 (2022.01); C12N 9/00 (2006.01); C12N 9/02 (2006.01)

CPC C12P 7/62 (2013.01) [C12N 9/00 (2013.01); C12N 9/0008 (2013.01); C12N 9/001 (2013.01); C12Y 102/04004 (2013.01); C12Y 103/03006 (2013.01)]

33 Claims

1. A process for the production of methyl methacrylate (MMA), the process comprising the steps of:

a) providing a microorganism that expresses one or more enzymes necessary to catalyse the production of C₃-C₁₂methacrylate esters in a fermentation medium, under conditions which said microorganism will produce a C₃-C₁₂methacrylate ester enzymatically;

b) providing an organic phase in contact with the fermentation medium, said organic phase including C₃-C₁₂methacrylate ester in a higher concentration than that in the fermentation medium;

c) removing organic phase containing said C₃-C₁₂methacrylate ester from contact with the fermentation medium; and

d) transesterifying the removed C₃-C₁₂methacrylate ester with methanol, optionally after separation from the organic phase, to produce methyl methacrylate, wherein the transesterification of step d) is non-enzymatic takes place in the presence of methanol and a base catalyst.