US Patent 10301251 Extractive workup of a sodium-salt-containing MMA-methanol mixture

The present invention relates to a process for preparing methyl methacrylate by direct oxidative esterification of methacrolein. Methyl methacrylate is used in large amounts for preparing polymers and copolymers with other polymerizable compounds. In addition, methyl methacrylate is an important synthesis unit for a variety of specialty esters based on methacrylic acid (MAA) which can be prepared by transesterification with the appropriate alcohol. There is consequently a great interest in very simple, economic and environmentally friendly processes for preparing this starting material.