PURPOSE: To prepare esters having different qualities by a batch process efficiently, by feeding previously acrylic acid or methacrylic acid to a system, feeding continuously an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, a water azeotrope former, and a stabilizer with removing water so that esterification is carried out.
CONSTITUTION: In preparing an ester by reacting acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with an alcohol, acrylic acid or methacrylic acid is first fed to a reaction system. the reaction is carried out by feeding continuously an alcohol (e.g., n-butanol, etc.) to it in the presence of an esterifying catalyst (e.g., sulfuric acid, etc.), a water azeotrope former (e.g., benzene, etc.) and a stabilizer (e.g., phenothiazine, etc.) with removing water prepared as a by-product by the reaction. Especially during the esterification reaction, an amount of the alcohol kept in the system is preferably ≤0.2 as much as the theoretical value required for completion of the reaction.
EFFECT: Remaining water content is low and side reactions can also be suppressed.
SHIMIZU NOBORU
YOSHIDA HIROSHI
UCHINO HIROKI
