Conversion of unsaturated aldehydes to monomeric products

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING PREDOMINANTLY AN ALKENYL ACRYLATE FROM A CORRESPONDING ALPHA-METHYLIDENE ALKANAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACROLEIN AND METHACROLEIN WHICH COMPRISES, (1) CONDENSING THE ALPHA-METHYLIDENE ALKANAL PREDOMINANTLY TO THE CORRESPONDING ALKENYL ACRYLATE UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CONDITIONS AND AT A TEMPERATURE UP TO ABOUT 45*C. IN THE PRESENCE OF ALUMINUM ALCOHOLATE IN AN EFFECTIVE CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 0.001 TO ABOUT 0.05 MOLE PER MOLE OF THE METHYLIDENE ALKANAL FOR A TIME SUBSTANTIALLY SHORT OF COMPLETE CONVERSION OF THE ALKANAL AND SHORT OF PRODUCTION OF A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF POLYMERIC PRODUCT AND (2) IMMEDIATELY SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON THE RESULTING CRUDE REACTION MIXTURE AND AT THIS REDUCED PRESSURE RAPIDLY DISTILLING OVERHEAD AT A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 60*C. THOSE COMPONENTS OF SAID MIXTURE BOILING BELOW THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF THE ALUMINUM TRIALCOHOLATE.