Dehydration of acrolein by azeotropic distillation

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF SEPARATING SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS ACROLEIN FROM AN ACROLEIN-WATER MIXTURE CONTAINING A MINOR BUT SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF WATER, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO A FIRST DISTILLATION AT ATMOSPHERIX PRESSURE IN THE PRESENCE OF ETHYL ETHER AND THEREBY PRODUCING A FIRST BOTTOMS FRACTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS ACROLEIN AND AN OVERHEAD PRIMARY AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE CONTAINING ETHER AND THE WATER CONTENT OF SAID ACROLEIN-WATER MIXTURE; SUBJECTING SAID PRIMARY AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE TO A SECOND DISTILLATION AT SUPER-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OF AT LEAST TWO ATMOSPHERES ABSOLUTE AND THEREBY PRODUCING A SECOND BOTTOMS FRACTION WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY ENRICHED IN ETHER RELATIVE TO THE PRIMARY AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE AND AN OVERHEAD SECONDARY AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE WHICH IS ENRICHED IN WATER RELATIVE TO THE PRIMARY AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE; CONDENSING SAID SECONDARY AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE AND STRATIFYING THE RESULTING CONDENSATE INTO AN ETHERRICH PHASE AND A WATER-RICH PHASE AND RETURNING THE ETHER-RICH PHASE TO THE SECOND DISTILLATION OPERATION; AND RETURNING SAID ETHER-ENRICHED SECOND BOTTOMS FRACTION TO SAID DISTILLATION OPERATION.