Patent ID: 6846948

Claim:
A process for preparing butyl acrylate comprising: reacting acrylic acid and butanol in a reactor in the presence of an esterification catalyst wherein the water formed by the reaction is entrained by distillation in a distillation column in the form of a heteroazeotropic mixture with butanol; subjecting the heteroazeotropic mixture, following condensation, to separation in a decanter to yield an upper, organic phase which is recycled to the top of the distillation column and a lower, aqueous phase which is drawn off, wherein the reaction is conducted: with deferred introduction of part of the butanol at the top of the distillation column or into the decanter or into the reactor, the butanol/acrylic acid molar ratio being initially between 0.5 and 1 before rising to between 1 and 1.5 following completion of the deferred introduction of the butanol; with an initial temperature, Ti, at the reactor bottom whose lower limit is 70° C. and a final temperature, Tf, at the reactor bottom which is greater than Ti and whose upper limit is 110°; and under an initial pressure, Pi, of from 3.33×10 4 Pa to 1.33×10 4 Pa and a final pressure, Pf, of from 2.66×10 4 Pa to 0.66×10 4 Pa.