Patent ID: 6399817
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for preparing (meth)acrylic acid, comprising:(A) feeding to an absorption tower (i) a mixed product gas from the catalytic oxidation of at least one hydrocarbon material with a molecular oxygen containing gas, and (ii) an aqueous stream comprising recycled wastewater and less than 3.0 percent by weight acetic acid; (B) contacting the mixed product gas with the aqueous stream in the (C) absorption tower to form an aqueous (meth)acrylic acid stream; and (C) feeding the aqueous (meth)acrylic acid stream to a distillation column, wherein it is subjected to azeotropic distillation in the presence of at least one distillation solvent to form a (meth)acrylic acid solution substantially a free of water; wherein at least a portion of the recycled wastewater is stripped of undesirable components in a stripping column using a stripping gas which comprises a waste gas stream prior to feeding the recycled wastewater to the absorption tower.