Patent ID: 8729299

Claim:
A process for producing an acrylate product, the process comprising the steps of: (a) reacting a reaction mixture comprising from 1 wt % to 40 wt % alkanoic acid, from 0.5 wt % to 35 wt % alkylenating agent, from 1 wt % to 60 wt % water, from 22 wt % to 97.5 wt % nitrogen, and from 1 wt % to 3 wt % oxygen over a catalyst and under conditions effective to form a crude acrylate product comprising acrylate product and alkylenating agent; and (b) separating at least a portion of the crude product to form at least one alkylenating agent stream and at least one purified acrylate product stream comprising acrylate product; wherein the reaction yield varies by less than 50% over the lifetime of the catalyst.