Purification of isopropyl alcohol

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF CRUDE ISOPROPANOL PREPARED BY AN ACID CATALYZED OLEFIN HYDRATION PROCESS AND CONTAINING LOW-BOILING IMPURITIES INCLUDING ACETONE AND MINUTE AMOUNTS OF MALODOROUS BODIES INTRODUCED BY THE OLEFIN UTILIZED AND GIVING RISE TO "MERCAPTAN ODOR" WHICH CONSISTS OF, ADJUSTING THE PH OF THE CRUDE ISOPROPANOL TO 8.0 TO 10.0, PREHEATING THE CRUDE ALCOHOL IN THE LIQUID PHASE UNDER PRESSURE OF 15 TO 300 P.S.I.G. TO A TEMPERATURE OF 65* C. TO 150* C. FOR A PERIOD OF 1 TO 3 HOURS, INTRODUCING THE PREHEATED CRUDE ALCOHOL INTO AN EXTRACTIVE DISTILLATION ZONE WHEREIN VAPORS OF THE CRUDE ALCOHOL ARE DISTILLED COUNTERCURRENT TO AN INTERNAL AQUEOUS REFLUX CONTAINING 70-99 MOL PER CENT WATER FOR REMOVAL OF LOW-BOILING MATERIALS INCLUDING PART OF THE ACETONE OVERHEAD AND TO OBTAIN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ISOPROPANOL CONTAINING SOME ACETONE AS BOTTOMS, DISTILLING THE REMAINING ACETONE FROM THE AQUEOUS ALCOHOL BOTTOMS, AND STRIPPING PURIFIED ISOPROPANOLWATER AZEOTROPE FREE OF MALEDOROUS BODIES FROM THE DEACETONIZED AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL.