Process for preparing methacrolein from formaldehyde and propionaldehyde and preparation plant for the purpose

• Main Authors: Burghardt, Rudolf, Zschunke, Florian, Rundal, Eduard, Krill, Steffen, König, Daniel Helmut, Panak, Torsten
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.06.2023
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A process and a preparation plant prepares methacrolein from formaldehyde and propionaldehyde, in presence of water and a homogeneous catalyst based at least on an acid and a base. A reaction mixture is introduced into a methacrolein workup plant and separated in a first distillation column, into a first distillation mixture in a gas phase at the top and a second distillation mixture in a liquid phase at the bottom. The first distillation mixture is condensed and, in a first phase separator, the organic phase and the aqueous phase of the condensate are separated from one another. The aqueous phase is introduced into a second distillation column, that is not part of the methacrolein workup plant, and is separated into a third distillation mixture in a gas phase at the top and a fourth distillation mixture at the bottom. The third distillation mixture is introduced into the methacrolein workup plant.