| abstract |
A process for preparing acrylic acid from ethylene oxide and carbon monoxide, in which ethylene oxide is carbonylated in an aprotic solvent with carbon monoxide in the presence of a cobalt catalyst system to give poly-3-hydroxypropionate, the cobalt content in the poly-3-hydroxypropionate formed is reduced with the aid of water and/or an aqueous solution as a precipitation and/or wash liquid, and the poly-3-hydroxypropionate is subsequently split by thermolysis to give acrylic acid. |