Continuous process for preparation of pure methyl borate

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR FORMING TRIMETHYL BORATE COMPRISING FIRST REACTING ORTHOBORIC ACID AND AN EXCESS OF METHANOL TO FORM A MIXTURE OF A TRIMETHYL BORATE-METHANOL AZEOTROPE, METHANOL AND WATER; DISTILLING THE MIXTURING TO SEPARATE THE AZEOTROPE AS ONE FRACTION FROM THE MEMTHANOL AND WATER AS AZEOTROPE AS ONE FRACTION FROM THE METHANOL METHANOL FROM ONE ANOTHER AND RETURNING THE METHANOL TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FIRST REACTION STEO; ADDING TO THE SEPARATED TRIMETHYL BORATE-METHANOL AZEOTROPE SUFFICIENT BORIC OXIDE TO REACT WITH THE METHANOL IN THE AZEOTROPE TO FORM TRIMETHYL BOTATE AND ORTHOBORIC ACID AND RELEASE THE TRIMETHYL BORATE HELD BY THE METHANOL IN SAID AZEOTROPE; COOLING SAID MIXTURE TO PRECIPITATE THE ORTHOBORIC ACID; SEPARATING THE ORTHOBORIC ACID FROM THE MIXTURE; RETURNING THE ORTHOBORIC ACID TO THE AFOREMENTIONED FIRST REACTION STEP; AND RECOVERING TRIMETHYL BORATE FROM THE MIXTURE.