| abstract |
Disclosed is a method for producing methyl methacrylate,nwhich comprises: subjecting isobutylene and/orntert-butanol to a gas phase catalytic oxidation reactionnwith molecular oxygen to thereby obtain gas (a) containingnmethacrolein gas and steam; introducing gas (a) and a methacrolein/methanolnliquid mixture (I) into a dehydration towernat a lower portion thereof and at an upper portion thereof,nrespectively, thereby allowing the liquid mixture (I) tonflow downwardly in the dehydration tower and contact countercurrentlynwith the gas (a) in the dehydration tower, tonthereby obtain a dehydrated gas mixture (b) containingnmethacrolein gas and methanol gas; introducing the dehydratedngas mixture (b) and a methacrolein/methanol liquid mixturen(II) into an absorption tower at a lower portion thereofnand at an upper portion thereof, respectively, therebynallowing the liquid mixture (II) to flow downwardly andncontact countercurrently with the dehydrated gas mixture (b)nin the absorption tower, thereby obtaining anmethacrolein/methanol liquid mixture (III); and introducingnthe liquid mixture (III) into a reactor and subjecting thenmethacrolein and methanol, which are contained in the liquidnmixture (III), to an oxidative esterification reaction innthe reactor in the presence of molecular oxygen and in thenpresence of a palladium catalyst. |