The invention is applicable to the field of
chemical industry, and provides a continuous catalytic reaction
separation method for preparing
methyl propionate, which comprises the following steps: firstly, adding a fixed
solution phase consisting of high-boiling-point
alkane,
nickel /
cobalt and organic
phosphine oxide into a bubbling reactor T3, and then sequentially introducing
methanol,
ethylene and
carbon monoxide, and maintaining the temperature of the
system at 140-220 DEG C and the total pressure at 6-12 MPa for reaction. Allowing a
gas phase volatilized in the reactor to enter a condenser T4 for partial condensation, and returning non-condensable gas to the bubbling reactor for mechanical application; condensed liquid enters a pressurized rectifying
tower T6 through a collecting tank T5,
tower top distillate returns to the bubbling reactor for mechanical application, and a fraction obtained at the
tower bottom is a
methanol solution of
methyl propionate. Compared with the prior art,
precious metal such as
palladium does not need to be used, protonic acid does not need to be added into reaction liquid, the catalyst
system has the advantages of being good in stability in the
carbon monoxide atmosphere and continuous in technological process, and the method has high production efficiency and is a green, economical and efficient
methyl propionate preparation and
separation method.