Method of producing a carboxylic alkyl ester
AssigneeBASF SE
InventorsChristophe Bauduin, Wolfgang Fischer, Rolf Pinkos, Edzard Scholten
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a novel process for preparing alkyl polycarboxylates from an aqueous solution of an ammonium salt of the polycarboxylic acid by reactive distillation, and to a process for hydrogenating the alkyl carboxylates prepared in this way.
Claims23
A process for preparing a polycarboxylic acid ester via reactive distillation comprising (1) esterifying an ammonium salt of at least one polycarboxylic acid by contacting an initial charge comprising an aqueous solution of said ammonium salt of at least one polycarboxylic acid with at least one alkanol in a distillation column to form a polycarboxylic acid ester and (2) removing ammonia and water obtained from said esterification by distillation, wherein said aqueous solution of an ammonium salt of at least one polycarboxylic acid and said at least one alkanol are fed to said distillation column in at least two separate reactant streams such that said at least one alkanol is fed in at least one theoretical plate or at least one tray below the feed of said aqueous solution of an ammonium salt of at least one polycarboxylic acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.