Arkema France

Camille Hilpert

Marc Esch

Serge Tretjak

Yves Cabon

Andre Levray

Anne Moreliere

André Levray

The invention relates to the manufacture of alkyl acrylates by direct esterification of acrylic acid by the corresponding alcohol. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a topping column equipped with a side draw-off making it possible to draw off a stream rich in acid impurities, such as β-hydroxypropionic acid and β-acryloyloxypropionic acid, during the distillation of the crude reaction mixture, in order to produce an acrylic ester meeting purity standards which are compatible with its use to prepare acrylic polymers.

Method for manufacturing high-purity alkyl acrylates

The invention relates to the production of (meth)acrylic esters according to a process by direct esterification, and in particular to the purification of a crude reaction mixture comprising a C-C(meth)acrylic ester using a dividing wall column employed in a particular configuration. The dividing wall column is equipped with a separating wall creating separation zones in the column, the wall not being joined to the upper dome of the column in the top part and being joined to the bottom of the column in the bottom part. The process according to the invention guarantees a product of very high purity, independently of the back-cracking reactions of the heavy by-products liable to arise during the purification of the product sought.

Method for purifying (meth)acrylic esters using a divided wall column

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Saint Avold, France

Camille Hilpert