PURPOSE: To obtain the compound useful as an intermediate, etc., for medicines and agrochemicals at a high production rate by catalytically reacting a glycolic acid ester with molecular oxygen in the vapor phase using a novel catalyst.
CONSTITUTION: This method for producing a glyoxylic acid ester is to react a glycolic acid ester (preferably methyl glycolate or ethyl glycolate) with molecular oxygen (usually air) in the vapor phase in the presence of an unsupported phosphoric acid catalyst (preferably powder having 20-100μm grain diameter or a molding having a particle size of 4-200 mesh. The catalyst is obtained by adding, e.g. water to copper phosphate and drying the resultant slurry at 110°C. Furthermore, the reaction is preferably carried out by feeding the glycolic acid ester at a flow rate of 0.2-3g/hr based on 1g catalyst and the molecular oxygen at 0.5-3molar ratio to the glycolic acid ester at a flow rate of 1-15ml/min based on 1g catalyst to a reactor filled with the catalyst under conditions of 200-350°C and normal pressure to 5kg/cm2.
NAKAMURA YASUO
YOSHII KIYOTAKA
FUKUDA YASUNORI
Next Patent: Systems, methods, and products for identifying lumens