Process for separation of amyl alcohols from ketones by distillation

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF 1-PENTANOL, 2-METHYL-L BUTANOL, AND 3 - METHYL - L - BUTANOL FROM MIXTURES CONTAINING KETONES, AT LEAST SOME OF WHICH AZEOTROPE WITH 1-PENTANOL AND SOME OF WHICH AZETROPE WITH 2-METHYL-1-BUTANOL AND 3METHYL-1-BUTANOL, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO DISTILLATION TO OBTAIN AN OVERHEAD STREAM OF 2-METHYL-1-BUTANOL, 3METHYL-1-BUTANOL, AND AZEOTROPING KETONE BUT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF 1-PENTANOL, AND A BOTTOMS CONTAINING 1-PENTANOL AND A CLOSE BOILING KETONE, ADDING A HYDROCARBON BOILING WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 95* TO ABOUT 120* C. TO SAID OVERHEAD STREAM AND SUBJECTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO DISTILLATION TO PRODUCE AN OVERHEAD FRACTION OF 2METHYL-1-BUTANOL, 3-METHYL-1-BUTANOL, AND HYDROCARBON AZEOTROPES FREE OF KETONE, ADDING A HYDROCARBON BOILING IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 120* TO ABOUT 130* C. TO SAID BOTTOMS, AND THEREAFTER DISTILLING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO RECOVER A KETONE-FRE OVERHEAD COMPRISING 1-PENTANOL.