Production of unsaturateb

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF METHACROLEIN WHEREIN NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE ARE SUBJECTED TO ISOBUTYLENE OXIDIZING CONDITIONS IN A REACTION ZONE WITH THE FORMATION OF A REACTION MIXTURE COMPRISING METHACROLEIN, ACETALDEHYDE-CONTAINING SATURATED CARBONYLIC COMPOUNDS, NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING ISOBUTLENE AND FIXED GASES, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE CONTACTING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID REACTION MIXTURES WITH LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE, THEREBY FROMING A GASEOUS PHASE COMPRISING SAID FIXED GASES AND A LIQUID ABSORBATE COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE-CONTANING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS, METHACROLEIN AND ACETALDEHYDE-CONTAINING SATURATED CARBONYLIC COMPOUNDS, STRIPPING ACETALDEHYDE-CONTAINING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE FROM SAID ABSORBATE, THEREBY LEAVING A RESIDUE COMPRISING METHACROLEIN-CONTAINING CARBONYLIC COMPOUNDS, EXTRACTING SAID RESIDUE WITH WATER FLOWING COUNTERCURRENT TO AN ORGANIC SOLVENT COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE-CONTAINING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS IN AN EXTRACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING SAID ACETALDEHYDE-CONTAINING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS STRIPPED FROM SAID ABSORBATE INTO SAID EXTRACTION ZONE IN THE LIQUID STATE TO BE USED EXTRACTION ZONE IN THE LIQUID THEREBY FORMING A RAFFINATE PHASE COMPRISING METHACROLEIN AND ISOBUTYLENE-CONTAINING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SATURATED CARBONYLIC COMPOUNDS IN SAID EXTRACTION ZONE, STRIPPING ISOBUTYLENE-CONTAINING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID RAFFINATE PHASE, AND PASSING NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE STRIPPED FROM SAID RAFFINATE PHASE INTO SAID REACTION ZONE.