The invention discloses a preparation method of methyl glycolate, which comprises the following steps: enabling raw materials containing
methyl methoxyacetate,
dimethyl ether and water to pass through a reactor loaded with a
solid acid catalyst, and carrying out
hydrolysis reaction under preset
reaction conditions to obtain a product containing methyl glycolate. According to the preparation method disclosed by the invention,
dimethyl ether is added, so that not only can the
hydrolysis reaction be inhibited from generating
dimethyl ether, but also the by-product dimethyl
ether in the reaction for preparing
methyl methoxyacetate by
carbonylation of methylal can be converted into
methanol, and the whole process for preparing methyl glycolate by
carbonylation /
hydrolysis of methylal does not produce net dimethyl
ether; according to the preparation method disclosed by the invention, dimethyl
ether is added to promote conversion of dimethyl ether into
methanol in a hydrolysis reaction, so that a mature
methanol-to-methylal process technology is favorably combined, preparation of methyl glycolate from methanol is realized, the reliability of a process flow is improved, and the cost is saved.