Patent ID: 6977310

Claim:
Process for continuously preparing alkyl (meth)acrylates of the formula (C) 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 from 2 to 12 carbon atoms by reacting a compound of the formula (B) R 2 OH (B) where R 2 is as defined above with methyl (meth)acrylate (A) where R 1 is an H or CH 3 group in the presence of a transesterification catalyst and in the presence of at least one polymerization inhibitor in an apparatus for continuous transesterification, characterized in that the reactants are continuously fed to a suitable reaction apparatus ( 1 ) and that the methanol resulting from the reaction is continuously removed as an azeotropic methanol/methyl (meth)acrylate mixture ( 13 ) with the aid of a distillation column ( 2 ), and also: the reaction mixture is continuously conducted from the reaction apparatus into a distillation column ( 3 ) in which distillation under reduced pressure is used to remove the volatile components (A, B, methanol) and a very low proportion of product ester (C) overhead which are recycled into the reaction apparatus and to remove the product ester (C) together with the catalyst and the polymerization inhibitors and also high-boiling by-products from the bottom of the column; the bottom stream ( 15 ) from the distillation column ( 3 ) is fed continuously to an evaporator ( 5 ) in which distillation under reduced pressure is used to separate the product ester (C) from the catalyst and the polymerization inhibitors and also high-boiling by-products.