Patent ID: 8461380

Claim:
A method of producing acrylic acid comprising: (1) obtaining a glycerin mixture by: (a) causing an ester substitution reaction between an oil or a fat and an alcohol to thereby obtain a fatty acid ester mixture including at least three of fatty acid esters, glycerin, fatty acids or fatty acid salts; and (b) removing the fatty acid esters from the fatty acid ester mixture; or (c) causing a saponification reaction between an oil or a fat and an alkali to thereby obtain a fatty acid alkali salt mixture including fatty acid alkali salts, glycerin and fatty acids; and (d) removing the fatty acid alkali salts from the fatty acid alkali salt mixture; (2) dehydrating the glycerin mixture to obtain an acrolein mixture; (3) oxidizing the acrolein mixture to obtain an acrylic acid mixture; and (4) recovering acrylic acid from the acrylic acid mixture.