PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ALKYL METHACRYLATES WITH HIGHER YIELDS AND REDUCED EMISSIONS OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

The present invention relates to an environmentally friendly process for producing alkyl methacrylate, more particularly methyl methacrylate (MMA), the process comprising the production of an alkyl methacrylate precursor; esterification; processing of the raw product and storing the pure product, the alkyl methacrylate being recovered from the gaseous outlet streams of the process by way of at least one absorption step and being suitably recirculated to the process. The alkyl methacrylate precursor is particularly an MMA precursor, such as, for example, methacrylic acid amide (MASA) or its hydrogen sulfate (MASA·H2SO4).