Abstract: The invention relates to the manufacture of alkyl acrylates by direct esterification of acrylic acid with the corresponding alcohol. In particular, the invention relates to the use of a cracker in combination with a topping column equipped with a side draw-off allowing a stream rich in acidic impurities such as ?-hydroxypropionic acid and ?-acryloxypropionic acid to be drawn off during distillation of the crude reaction mixture, so as to produce an acrylic ester meeting purity standards compatible with its use for preparing acrylic polymers.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the continuous production of a (meth)acrylic ester by transesterification reaction between a C1-C4 light alkyl (meth)acrylate, with a heavy alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, characterised in that the flows feeding the reactor are introduced through a static mixer placed on a recirculation loop of the reactor. The use of a static mixer improves the selectivity of the reaction and consequently the overall productivity of (meth)acrylic ester synthesis process.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the continuous production of a (meth)acrylic ester by transesterification reaction between a C1-C4 light alkyl (meth)acrylate, with a heavy alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, characterised in that the flows feeding the reactor are introduced through a static mixer placed on a recirculation loop of the reactor. The use of a static mixer improves the selectivity of the reaction and consequently the overall productivity of (meth)acrylic ester synthesis process.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of alkyl acrylate according to a continuous transesterification process. In one embodiment the process of the invention uses a simple column to purify a reaction mixture of acryl acrylate in one step yielding alkyl acrylate with a purity of greater than 99.8%.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of 2-octyl acrylate of high purity and in good yield, that includes the recycling of economically upgradable products, such as un-reacted reactants and catalyst. The process uses ethyl titanate in solution in 2-octanol or 2-octyl titanate as a tranesterification catalyst and employs a purification train comprising only two distillation columns.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of alkyl acrylate according to a continuous transesterification process. In one embodiment the process of the invention uses a simple column to purify a reaction mixture of acryl acrylate in one step yielding alkyl acrylate with a purity of greater than 99.8%.

Abstract: The invention relates to the industrial production of 2-octyl acrylate of very high purity and with a high yield, using a continuous transesterification process. The method of the invention uses ethyl titanate in solution in 2-octanol or 2-octyl titanate as a transesterification catalyst, and employs a purification train comprising two distillation columns.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of 2-octylacrylate of high purity and in good yield using ethyl titanate in solution in 2-octanol or 2-octyl titanate as a transesterification catalyst.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of 2-octylacrylate of high purity and in good yield using ethyl titanate in solution in 2-octanol or 2-octyl titanate as a transesterification catalyst.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for making aqueous solutions of unsaturated quaternary ammonium salts of formula (I) by reacting, in the presence of water, N,N-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate with a quaternizing agent of formula (II): R—Cl, said method is characterized in that it consists in: (a) in a closed reactor containing 5 60 wt. % of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate required for the reaction and which has been pressurized with air or depleted air at 0.5 to 3 bars, carrying out the reaction by continuously introducing, at a temperature ranging between 35 to 65° C., the quaternizing agent (II), and water, and finally the remaining N,N-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, until the desired concentration of salt (I) in the water is reached, the water being introduced only when 0–20 wt. % of the amount required for the quaternizing agent (II) reaction has been added; the introduction of the remaining N,N-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate starting only when 20–80 wt.

Abstract: This process for the production of the methyl ethyl ketone cyanohydrin of formula (I) is characterized by the fact that hydrocyanic acid and methyl ethyl ketone are reacted in the presence of diethylamine as a catalyst.

Abstract: To prepare compound (I), a quaternising agent R3—X⊖ is introduced into a solution, in an organic solvent or a mixture of organic solvents, of a compound of formula (III), at a temperature of 35 to 80° C., and the reaction is then allowed to continue at said temperature until compound (III) has disappeared completely or substantially completely, after which water is added and then an aqueous solution of compound (I) is separated and the water removed as necessary. R1=H or —CH3; R2=one of —CH3, —C2H5, —C3H7 and —C4H9; the two R3 are the same or different and each represents one of —CH3, —C2H5, —C3H7, —C4H9 and —CH2C6H5; and the two X⊖ are the same or different and each represents Cl⊖ or Br⊖.

Abstract: To prepare compound (I), a quaternising agent R3—X{circle over (−)} is introduced into a solution, in an organic solvent or a mixture of organic solvents, of a compound of formula (III), at a temperature of 35 to 80° C., and the reaction is then allowed to continue at said temperature until compound (III) has disappeared completely or substantially completely, after which water is added and then an aqueous solution of compound (I) is separated and the water removed as necessary.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of aqueous solutions of unsaturated quaternary ammonium salts. The salts can correspond to the following formula (I): in which R represents a methyl or benzyl radical, by reaction, in the presence of water, of N,N-dimethyl-amninoethyl acrylate (DAMEA) with a quaternizing agent of formula (II): R—Cl  (II) in which R is as defined above. Generally, the reaction is carried out in a closed reactor, which includes all the DAMEA and has been pressurized by air or depleted air to 0.5 to 3 bar, by continuously introducing, at a temperature of 35 to 65° C., the quatenlizing agent (II) and the water, until a concentration of salt (I) in the water is obtained. The water starts to be introduced beginning when 0-20% of the amount by weight of the quaternizing agent (II) necessary for the reaction has been added and it being possible for the pressure at the end of the reaction to reach 9 bar.

Abstract: Process for purifying acrylic acid in order to remove the polymer-type impurities in those places in the distillation columns in which they have a tendency to accumulate, and more particularly a process directed towards removing the polymeric impurities which are formed during a step for removing the aldehyde impurities from acrylic acid, according to which step the medium containing the acrylic acid to be purified is distilled by adding to this medium at least one amino compound of hydrazine type and by flushing away, at the foot of the distillation column, the heavy compounds formed by the said hydrazine-type amino compound(s) with the impurities. According to the invention, the acrylic acid to be purified is also distilled in the presence of at least one compound from the class of nonionic surface agents and of at least one polymerization inhibitor. Polysaccharide ethers and acetates, in particular ethers derived from cellulose or starch, may be mentioned as nonionic surface agents.

Abstract: The method consists in extracting acrylic acid by countercurrent filtration washing of reaction gases by at least a hydrophobic absorbing heavy solvent, then recuperating the purified acrylic acid from the solution obtained at the end of this extracting step. As hydrophobic absorbing heavy solvent at least a hydrophobic aromatic compound is used having: a boiling point under atmospheric pressure between 260° C. and 380° C.; a crystallisation temperature less than 35° C. and a viscosity less than 10 mPa·s in a range of temperature between 30-80° C.

Abstract: Process for the manufacture of a compound of formula (I) by reaction of at least one (meth)acrylate of formula (II) with a heterocyclic alcohol of formula (III) in the presence of sodium methoxide as catalyst, characterized in that the sodium methoxide is gradually introduced, as a solution, throughout the synthesis: ##STR1## R.sup.1 =hydrogen or methyl; A and B each independently represent a straight or branched hydrocarbon chain having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 =C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group.

Abstract: This process for the manufacture of sec-butyl acrylate by reaction of acrylic acid and at least one butene in the presence of a macroporous cationic resin containing sulphonic acid groups is characterized in that the reaction is carried out using a molar ratio of the acrylic acid to the butene(s) used which is greater than 1, the crude reaction product comprising residual acrylic acid, dissolved butene isomers, the desired sec-butyl acrylate, octenes, 2-butanol and heavy addition products, and in that the desired sec-butyl acrylate is separated from the crude reaction product.

Abstract: Acrylic acid obtained by catalytic oxidation of propylene, extracted by countercurrent washing of the reaction gases which at least one hydrophobic heavy solvent in an extraction column (C1) is purified.

Abstract: A process for producing methyl methacrylate comprises: (a) reacting acetone cyanohydrin with sulphuric acid or an oleum, in order to obtain methacrylamide; (b) reacting the methacrylamide thus obtained either directly, or after it has been isolated, with methanol in the presence of water; (c) separating the methyl methacrylate from the sulphuric acid, ammonium sulphate and water mixture by distillation; (d) removing the unreacted methanol by liquid-liquid extraction; (e) distilling the washed methyl methacrylate in two stages: (e1) firstly, in order to remove the remaining traces of water, of methanol and of low-boiling-point impurities; then (e2) in order to separate the pure methyl methacrylate from the high- boiling-point impurities.