Provided herein are improved methods for producing methacrylic acid and
methacrylate esters using combined or "integrated" processing steps
including integrated hydrolysis, integrated cracking systems, and
combinations thereof. In one embodiment, other aspects of an methacrylic
acid and methacrylate ester production trains are integrated. Also
provided are methods to purify crude methacrylic acid streams to form
glacial methacrylic acid that is at least 95% pure.