Patent ID: 6545176
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: B01J,C07C

Abstract:
A process for preparing methyl methacrylate, comprising:(A) hydrolyzing acetone cyanohydrin to produce a hydrolysis mixture comprising (&agr;-hydroxyisobutyramide, &agr;-sulfatoisobutyramide, 2-methacrylamide and methacrylic acid; (B) feeding said hydrolysis mixture to a cracker reactor, thermally converting said hydrolysis mixture in said cracker reactor to a cracker reactor mixture comprising 2-methacrylamide and methacrylic acid, said cracker reactor being operated under plug flow with the necessary retention time to produce said cracker reactor mixture, withdrawing said cracker reactor mixture from said cracker reactor; (C) reacting said cracker reactor mixture in at least one reactor with methanol to form a reaction mixture comprising methyl methacrylate.