Patent ID: 7038058

Claim:
A process for continuously preparing 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I where R 1 is an unsubstituted or substituted C 1 –C 6 -alkyl radical and R 2 is hydrogen or an unsubstituted or substituted C 1 –C 6 -alkyl radical, which comprises converting continuously added α-isocyanoalkanoate esters of the formula II in the presence of continuously added cyclizing assistants selected from the group consisting of bases, alcohols and esters, at temperatures above 80° C. in a reaction column to the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I, and continuously removing the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I from the reaction mixture by rectification, wherein the rectification parameters are set in such a way that A the α-isocyanoalkanoate esters of the formula II are converted to the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I on internals in the reaction column and, if present, in a liquid phase of the reaction column, B the 5-alkoxy-substituted oxazoles of the formula I resuling from the conversion are continuously removed with a top stream or sidestream of the reaction column and C the assistant and any high-boilers resulting from the conversion are removed continuously and independently of each other with a bottom stream or sidestream of the reaction column.