US 12,065,403 B2
Acid catalyzed synthesis of methyl acrylate from acrylic acid and methanol
Reetam Chakrabarti, Phoenixville, PA (US); Minh N. Ngo, Philadelphia, PA (US); and James Elder, Friendswood, TX (US)
Assigned to Rohm and Haas Company, Collegeville, PA (US)
Appl. No. 17/601,094
Filed by Rohm and Haas Company, Collegeville, PA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 2, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/026282
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 4, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/214422, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 22, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/834,464, filed on Apr. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153679 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. C07C 67/08 (2006.01); B01D 3/14 (2006.01); B01D 3/40 (2006.01); B01D 5/00 (2006.01); C07C 67/54 (2006.01); C07C 67/58 (2006.01); C07C 69/54 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 67/08 (2013.01) [B01D 3/146 (2013.01); B01D 3/40 (2013.01); B01D 5/006 (2013.01); C07C 67/54 (2013.01); C07C 67/58 (2013.01); C07C 69/54 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for preparing methyl acrylate, comprising:
a) heating in a reaction zone a mixture comprising acrylic acid, methanol, and an acid catalyst to react and form a product comprising methyl acrylate, which is vaporized with other light components and then fed to a distillation zone, wherein a feed stream entering the reaction zone comprises methanol and acrylic acid in a molar ratio of greater than 1 and less than 2, and a residence time in the reaction zone ranges from 0.25 to 2 hours;
b) condensing and phase-separating a distillate from the distillation zone to form an organic phase comprising methyl acrylate and an aqueous phase;
c) returning a portion of the organic phase to the distillation zone as organic reflux;
d) feeding the remainder of the organic phase and the aqueous phase of the distillation zone to an extraction column to form a methanol rich aqueous effluent and an organic effluent comprising methyl acrylate; and
e) purifying the organic effluent from the extraction column in a single finishing column, wherein a light ends stream is removed from the top of the finishing column, a bottoms stream is removed from the bottom of the finishing column, and methyl acrylate is removed from a side draw stream.