Patent ID: 8664415

Claim:
A process for preparing at least one (meth)acrylate of a C 17 -alcohol mixture comprising: reacting (meth)acrylic acid with a C 17 -alcohol mixture in the presence of at least one acidic catalyst and of at least one polymerization inhibitor and in the presence of a solvent which, with water, forms an azeotrope, wherein esterification is performed in a reactor with a circulation evaporator, the azeotrope is distilled off and condensed, and the condensate splits into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, the C 17 -alcohol mixture has a mean degree of branching (iso index) of 2.8 to 3.7, the acidic catalyst is at least one selected from the group consisting of a mineral acid and a sulfonic acid, and the solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon, a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon and an aromatic hydrocarbon.