Extractive distillation

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING ACETONE FROM A MIXTURE THEREOF WITH N-BUTYRALDEHYDE, AT LEAST ONE NON-ALCOHOLIC IMPURITY (A) SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PROPIONALDEHYDE, METHYL ACETATE, DIMETHYL ACETAL, ISOPROPYL ETHER AND LOW BOILING SATURATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS, AND AT LEAST ONE ALCOHOLIC IMPURITY (B) SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHANOL, ETHANOL AND ISOPROPANOL WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE MIXTURE TO A FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREOF, CONTINUOUSLY ADDING SUFFICIENT WATER TO THE DISTILLATION ZONE AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE MIXTURE FEED POINT TO MAINTAIN AN INTERNAL LIQUID WATER REFLUX HAVING A WATER CONTENT IN THE RANGE ABOVE 80 MOLE PERCENT BELOW THE POINT OF ADDITION OF THE WATER, DISTILLING FROM THE ACETONE FEED MIXTURE A VAPOROUS MIXTURE COMPRISING N-BUTYRALDEHYDE AND THE IMPURITIES WHEREIN THE DISTILLED VAPOROUS MIXTURE FLOWS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE VAPOROUS LIQUID REFLUX, WITHDRAWING N-BUTYRALDEHYDE AND IMPURITIES A AS A DISTILLATE FROM THE DISTILLATION ZONE AND REMOVING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ACETONE AND IMPURITY B AS BOTTOMS FROM THE FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING ACETONE FROM A MIXTURE THEREOF WITH N-BUTYRALDEHYDE, AT LEAST ONE NON-ALCOHOLIC IMPURITY (A) SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PROPIONALDEHYDE, METHYL ACETATE, DIMETHYL ACETAL, ISOPROPYL ETHER AND LOW BOILING SATURATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS, AND AT LEAST ONE ALCOHOLIC IMPURITY (B) SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHANOL, ETHANOL AND ISOPROPANOL WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE MIXTURE TO A FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREOF, CONTINUOUSLY ADDING SUFFICIENT WATER TO THE DISTILLATION ZONE AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE MIXTURE FEED POINT TO MAINTAIN AN INTERNAL LIQUID WATER REFLUX HAVING A WATER CONTENT IN THE RANGE ABOVE 80 MOLE PERCENT BELOW THE POINT OF ADDITION OF THE WATER, DISTILLING FROM THE ACETONE FEED MIXTURE A VAPOROUS MIXTURE COMPRISING N-BUTYRALDEHYDE AND THE IMPURITIES WHEREIN THE DISTILLED VAPOROUS MIXTURE FLOWS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE VAPOROUS LIQUID REFLUX, WITHDRAWING N-BUTYRALDEHYDE AND IMPURITIES A AS A DISTILLATE FROM THE DISTILLATION ZONE AND REMOVING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ACETONE AND IMPURITY B AS BOTTOMS FROM THE FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE.