PROCESS FOR THE ESTERIFICATION OF ACETIC ACID WITH ALCOHOLS HAVING 4 OR MORE THAN 4 C ATOMS AND WITH GLYCOL ETHERS

1. A process for esterifying acetic acid with an alcohol of 4 or more carbon atoms or with a glycol ether in the presence of a finely divided, strongly acidic ion exchanger in a vertical reactor with distillative separation of the resulting reaction mixture, characterised in that the esterification is carried out in a vertical reactor with descending or ascending flow, the reaction mixture leaving the reactor is introduced into the upper half of a downstream distillation column, the reactor is operated flooded with the aid of a pressure overflow valve between the reactor and distillation column, the water is removed azeotropically with an entraining agent via the top of the column, the ester formed is taken off as vapour below the first column tray, the unconverted amounts of acetic acid and alcohol are recycled to the esterification reactor after having been separated off by distillation and replenished with fresh quantities of acetic acid and alcohol corresponding to the amount of the ester taken off below the first column tray, and the high-boiling products formed are continuously taken off as liquid from the base of the column.