Green process for methacrolein separation with ionic liquids in the production of methyl methacrylate.

Separation of methacrolein (MAL) is a critical technique for the production of methyl methacrylate, which is an important raw material for the preparation of acrylic resins applied in a variety of end-uses. In this work, an azeotropic distillation process and an ionic liquid (IL) green process were developed for the separation of MAL with BmimBF₄. The two processes were simulated with Aspen plus. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental results which were attained in a pilot plant. Also the economic and green degree analysis of these two processes was investigated. When compared with the azeotropic distillation process, the IL green process exhibits economic superiority and green degree superiority. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]