A process for the production of acrylic acid from ethylene oxide and carbon monoxide

A process for the production of acrylic acid from ethylene oxide and carbon monoxide, in which ethylene oxide in a non-protic solvent with carbon monoxide in the presence of a Co-containing carbonylation catalyst system to poly-3-hydroxypropionate, the content of the formed poly-3-hydroxypropionate of Co with the aid of water and / or an aqueous solution as precipitation and / or washing liquid is reduced and the poly-3-hydroxypropionate is subsequently cleaved by thermolysis to acrylic acid.