Esterification of acrylic acid with methanol

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF METHYL ACRYLATE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A LIQUID MIXTURE OF ACRYLIC ACID AND EXCESS METHANOL TO A ZONE CONTAINING A LIQUID ESTERFICATION MIXTURE COMPRISING AN ESTERIFICATION CATALYST AND A POLYMERIZATION INHIBITOR, AND THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE IN SAID ZONE BEING MAINTAINING CONSTANT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING SAID ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 75* TO 90*C., CONTINUOUSLY FLASHING OFF VAPORS OF A MIXTURE OF METHYL ACRYLATE, WATER AND UNREACTED METHANOL FROM SAID ZONE, AND RECOVERING METHYL ACRYLATE BY CONTINUOUSLY LEADING SAID MIXTURE OF VAPORS INTO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN, CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING PENTANE TO THE TOP PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE AT A FIXED INTERMEDIATE POINT IN SAID COLUMN, DISTILLING A PENTANE-METHANOL AZEPTROPE FROM THE TOP OF SAID COLUMN, CONDENSING SAID PENTANE-METHANOL AZEOTROPE AND SEPARATING THE METHANOL PHASE THEREOF FROM THE PENTANE PHASE, RETURINING THE PENTANE PHASE TO THE TOP PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, FEEDING SAID SEPARATED METHANOL TO SAID ESTERIFACTION MIXTURE, DRAWING OFF A TWO-PHASE LIQUID MIXTURE OF METHYL ACRYLATE AND WATER FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN, AND RECOVERING THE METHYL ACRYLATE PHASE OF SAID TWO-PHASE MIXTURE.