Methyl Methacrylate

This is produced by the hydrocyanation of acetone using HCN. The resulting cyanohydrin is then reacted with sulfuric acid and methanol, producing methyl methacrylate:

One disadvantage of this process is the waste NH₄HSO₄ stream. Methacrylic acid (MAA) is also produced by the air oxidation of isobutylene or the ammoxidation of isobutylene to methacrylonitrile followed by hydrolysis.

Methacrylic acid and its esters are useful vinyl monomers for producing polymethacrylate resins, which are thermosetting polymers. The extruded polymers are characterized by the transparency required for producing glass-like plastics commercially known as Plexiglas: