Patent ID: 9573874
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: C07C

Claim:
1. A process for the production of acrylic acid comprising the following steps: a) reacting methyl acetate with a lactic acid molecular complex to produce methyl 2-acetoxypropionate in the presence of a base catalyst; b) pyrolyzing methyl 2-acetoxypropionate to methyl acrylate and acetic acid; c) transesterifying in a reactor the methyl acrylate and acetic acid to a mixture of methyl acrylate, acetic acid, methyl acetate and acrylic acid with a catalyst; d) separating the methyl acetate for recycle to a methyl 2-acetoxypropionate reactor; e) separating the acrylic acid for further refining; and f) separating the mixture of methyl acrylate and acetic acid for recycle to a transesterification reactor.