Processo para a preparação contínua de ésteres alquílicos de ácido (met) acrílico

In the continuous production of alkyl (meth)acrylates (AA) by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with 1-8 carbon (C) monohydric alkanols in the presence of an acid esterification catalyst; (a) a product mixture (PM) containing AA, the catalyst and a by-product (BP) with a higher b.pt. than AA is discharged from the reaction zone; and (b) AA is separated from PM by distillation in a separation zone. The novel features are that PM is separated in a rectification unit (RU) I into at least a product (I) containing AA and a product (II) containing the catalyst and product (I) is passed to another RU II, where AA is separated by rectification. Preferably the alkanol is 4-8 C alkanol, especially n-butanol or 2-ethylhexanol is used. The catalyst is para-toluene sulphonic acid (p-TSA) and/or other organic sulphonic acids, e.g. methane-, benzene- or dodecylbenzene-sulphonic acid, and/or sulphuric acid (H2SO4). The catalyst concentration in the reaction mixture is 0.1-10, especially 0.1-6 wt.% p-TSA or an equimolar amount of organic sulphonic acid and/or H2SO4.