Patent ID: 7557245

Claim:
A process for purifying a composition comprising (meth)acrylic acid, at least one impurity and water, wherein the composition has a water content in the range of about 10 to about 85% by weight, based on the composition, to form a purified phase comprising (meth)acrylic acid and at least one impurity, wherein, in the purified phase, the quantity of at least one impurity is less than about 7 by weight, based on (meth)acrylic acid in the purified phase, comprising a stage of the process which includes the following process steps: a) (meth)acrylic acid is crystallized from the composition while forming a suspension comprising a mother liquor and (meth)acrylic acid crystals; b) (meth)acrylic acid crystals are separated from the mother liquor; c) at least a portion of the separated (meth)acrylic acid crystals is melted to form a melt; and d) a portion of the melt is recycled to step a) or step b) and wherein the portion of melt which is not recycled is in the form of a separated (meth)acrylic acid.