Method for producing acetone cyanohydrin and its subsequent products by a specific cooling

The present invention relates in general terms to a process for preparing acetone cyanohydrin, comprising as steps: A. contacting acetone and hydrocyanic acid in a reactor to give a reaction mixture, the reaction mixture being circulated, to obtain acetone cyanohydrin; B. cooling at least some of the reaction mixture by flowing it through a cooling region of a cooler, the cooler including one cooling element or at least two cooling elements; C. discharging at least a portion of the acetone cyanohydrin obtained from the reactor, the volume of the cooling region of the cooler based on the total internal volume of the cooler being greater than the volume of the cooling element or of the at least two cooling elements of the cooler, to a process for preparing an alkyl methacrylate, to a process for preparing a methacrylic acid, to an apparatus for preparing alkyl methacrylates, to a process for preparing polymers based at least partly on alkyl methacrylates, to the use of the alkyl methacrylates obtainable from the process according to the invention in chemical products, and to chemical products based on the alkyl methacrylates obtainable by the processes according to the invention.