Method for continuous production of light acrylates by esterification of a raw ester-grade acrylic acid

1. A method for continuous preparation of light acrylate selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate, by:

reacting a corresponding light alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol with a stream of acrylic acid of crude ester grade comprising Michael adducts at a content by weight above 8%, according to which the following are carried out simultaneously in a single reaction zone: thermal dissociation of the Michael adducts present in said stream of acrylic acid of crude ester grade, or generated in situ in the reaction zone, and the reaction of esterification, with a light alcohol, of the acrylic acid present in said stream of acrylic acid of crude ester grade and/or generated in situ by said thermal dissociation,

submitting effluent leaving the reaction zone to a chain of treatment and purification providing a purified light acrylate, while withdrawing reaction residue using a pump,

wherein an excess of light acrylate is maintained in the reaction zone by reflux of an essentially water-free light acrylate phase at a flow rate by mass maintained above 0.8, said flow rate expressed by mass relative to a feed flow rate by mass of reactants to said reaction zone.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the light acrylate is methyl acrylate.

3. Method according to claim 1 wherein the acrylic acid is from a production process using propylene as raw material.

4. Method according to claim 1 wherein the acrylic acid is from a production process using glycerol or glycerin as raw material, or from a process for the dehydration of lactic acid, of 3-hydroxy-propionic acid or of their ammonium salts.

5. Method according to claim 1 wherein the stream of acrylic acid of crude ester grade is obtained during purification of crude acrylic acid recovered by means of an adsorption column fed with a solvent at the outlet of the acrylic acid synthesis reactor.

6. Method according to claim 1 wherein the stream of acrylic acid of crude ester grade is obtained during purification of acrylic acid recovered by means of a dehydration column without using solvent for extraction or azeotropic distillation, at the outlet of the acrylic acid synthesis reactor.

7. Method according to claim 1 wherein the stream of acrylic acid of crude ester grade comprises the heavy fraction separated at the bottom of a last purification step called tailing in an acrylic acid synthesis process.

8. Method according to claim 1 wherein a light acrylate phase comprising less than 5% by weight of water is sent as reflux to the reaction zone with a flow rate by mass above 0.8 expressed relative to the feed flow rate by mass of the reactants.

9. Method according to claim 1 wherein dynamic viscosity of the reaction residue, measured at 100° C. with a Brookfield rotary viscosimeter, is less than 200 cP.