Patent ID: 7586004

Claim:
A continuous process of high catalyst efficiency and product purity for the preparation of an alkylamino(meth)acrylamide of formula (C) in a suitable reaction apparatus, where R 1 is an H or CH 3 group and R 2 is a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl radical or aryl radical having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, the process comprising: continuously feeding to the suitable reaction apparatus: an amine of formula (B): R 2 NH 2 (B) a compound of formula (A): wherein R 3 is methyl or ethyl, a transesterification catalyst, and at least one polymerization inhibitor; removing water from the amine of formula (B); reacting the amine of formula (B) from which the water was removed, with the compound of formula (A) to form a reaction mixture comprising the alkylamino(meth)acrylamide of formula (C); continuously removing an azeotropic mixture comprising an alcohol of formula (D): R 3 OH (D) and the compound of formula (A) to an azeotropic distillation column; continuously conducting the reaction mixture out of the at least one reactor to a gentle film evaporator; and purifying a bottom stream from the gentle film evaporator in a purifying distillation column; wherein in the continuous feeding, the amine of formula (B) is fed to the at least one reactor via the azeotropic distillation column, and the suitable reaction apparatus comprises: at least one reactor, an azeotropic distillation column connected to the at least one reactor, a gentle film evaporator connected to the at least one reactor, a low boiler distillation column connected to the falling film evaporator at a lower position of the low boiler distillation column and connected to the azeotropic distillation column at an upper position of the low boiler distillation column, and a purifying distillation column connected to the falling film evaporator.