| abstract |
Sulfonic acid catalyst, e.g., methanesuifonic acid (MSA), and noble products, e.g., acrylic acid, butanol and butyl acrylatε, are recovered from acrylatc reactor blowdown. The blowndown comprises, among oilier things, the Michael ad ducts of the sulfonic acid and acrylate esters. The blowdown is mixed with water, subjected to conditions sufficient to crack or hydrolyze the Michael addυcts into their constitueut parts. These cracking conditions are also sufficient to allow the recovery of the sulfonic acid and constituent parts, as well as other light components of the heavy ends, e.g., unreacted acrylic acid and butanol, |