Reactive distillation is a special distillation technology based on the coupling of chemical reaction and distillation. It has the characteristics of low energy consumption and high separation efficiency. However, because the combination of reaction and separation produces highly nonlinear robust behavior, the control and optimization of the reactive distillation process cannot use conventional methods, but must rely on neural network algorithms. This paper briefly describes the characteristics and research progress of reactive distillation technology and neural network algorithms, and summarizes the application of neural network algorithms in reactive distillation, aiming to provide reference for the development and innovation of industry technology.