Methyl Methacrylate → Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

1200 g of methyl methacrylate (12 mole), 20 g of ethylene glycol and 0.65 g of N,N'-diphenyl benzidine (500 ppm) are added to a 2 liter round-bottomed flask. After the addition of 12.9 g of potassium cyanide (1%), a quantity of methanol equivalent to the ethylene glycol employed is taken off as methyl methacrylate/methanol-azeotrope while conducting air through at a temperature of 65° C. at the head of the column (approximately 1/2 hour). After that, an additional 73g of ethylene glycol are dosed in within 2 hours (total quantity of ethylene glycol 93g=1.5 mole). After altogether 4.5 hours of removing azeotrope, the trans-esterification is completed. After cooling of the flask, the sump is filtered to remove the potassium cyanide, and the filter residue is washed with a little methyl methacrylate. The filtrate is concentrated at 40° C. under a water jet vacuum. A residue of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate of 286 g = 96.5% results. The ethylene glycol dimethacrylate obtained in such a way can be used either without any further processing or optionally after destabilization.

Provenance & Evidence