Preparation of methacrylic derivatives from tertiary butyl-containing compounds

Claim 1

A process for producing methacrolein by the oxidation of a tertiary butyl-containing compound selected from the group consisting of tertiary-butyl alcohol, alkyl tertiary-butyl ether wherein the alkyl group contains from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, isobutylene dimer, isobutylene trimer and mixtures of isobutylene dimer and/or isobutylene trimer with isobutylene, in the presence of molecular oxygen and optionally in the presence of steam, at a temperature in the range of from about 200° to 600° C, and in the presence of a catalyst having the formula: A.sub.a C.sub.c Fe.sub.e Bi.sub.f D.sub.d Mo.sub.g O.sub.x wherein A is an alkali metal, barium, strontium, thallium, indium, silver, copper, or mixtures thereof; C is nickel, cobalt, magesium, zinc, manganese, cadmium, calcium, or mixtures thereof; D is phosphorus, antimony, germanium, chromium, thorium, tin, niobium, praseodymium, tungsten, boron, zirconium, cerium, arsenic or mixtures thereof; and wherein a is a number from 0 to 3; c is a number from 0.001 to 12; d is a number from 0 to 3; e and f are each a number from 0.01 to 12; g is 12; and x is the number of oxygens required to satisfy the valence requirements of the other elements present.