[4] MMA was discovered by Bernhard Tollens and his student W. A. Caspary in 1873,[5] who noticed and described its tendency to change into a clear, hard, transparent substance especially in sunlight.

[6] Studies on acrylic esters slowly developed until the Staudinger's theory of macromolecules and his research into the nature of polyacrylates allowed control over polymerization.

Company Rohm and Haas founded by German chemist Otto Röhm, who investigated the topic for three decades, was finally able to start its industrial production in 1931.

The principal route begins with the condensation of acetone and hydrogen cyanide:[4] Sulfuric acid then hydrolyzes acetone cyanohydrin (ACH) to a sulfate ester-adduct, which is cracked to the ester: Methanolysis gives ammonium bisulfate and MMA: Laboratory scale procedures are available for some of these steps.

The coke is easily removed and catalyst activity and selectivity restored by controlled, in-situ regeneration.

This process plant was cheaper to build and run than conventional systems, produces virtually no waste and the feedstocks can even be made from biomass.

[10] MAN can be produced by ammoxidation from isobutylene: This step is analogous to the industrial route to acrylonitrile, a related commodity chemical.

[10] Asahi Chemical developed a process based on direct oxidative esterification of methacrolein, which does not produce by-products such as ammonium bisulfate.

[10] The principal application, consuming approximately 75% of the MMA, is the manufacture of polymethyl methacrylate acrylic plastics (PMMA).

[16][17] Irritation of the skin, eye, and nasal cavity has been observed in rodents and rabbits exposed to relatively high concentrations of methyl methacrylate.