Hydrodesulfurization of oxo alcohols

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PURIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CRUDE PRIMARY OXO ALCOHOLS HAVING FROM FOUR TO TWENTY CARBON ATOMS AND HAVING UNSTABLE HEAT SENSITIVE IMPURITIES BOILING ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF SAID ALCOHOLS, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING CRUDE ALCOHOL INTO AN INITIAL VAPORIZATION ZONE, MAINTAINING IN SAID ZONE A BOTTOMS TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF SAID ALCOHOL PRODUCT, REMOVING OVERHEAD FROM SAID ZONE A VAPOR STREAM RICH IN ALCOHOL AND ESSENTIALLY FREE OF HIGH BOILING UNSTABLE IMPURITIES, PASSING SAID VAPOR STREAM TO A HYDROGENATION ZONE, CONTACTING SAID STREAM WITH HYDROGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF A SULFUR-SENSITIVE CATALYST UNDER CONDITIONS INCLUDING TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 255* TO ABOUT 350* F. AND PRESSURES FROM ATMOSPHERIC TO ABOUT 400P.S.I.G. WHEREBY NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IS HYDROGENATED TO HYDROCARBON AND WHEREBY SUSTANTIALLY ALL SULFUR IMPURITIES ARE REMOVED, PASSING SAID PURIFIED ALCOHOL PRODUCT TO A SECOND VAPORIZATION AND FRACTIONATION ZONE, MAINTAINING IN SAID ZONE A TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THAT IN SAID INITIAL VAPORIZATION ZONE, REMOVING VOLATILE MATERIAL BOILING APPRECIABLY BELOW THE ALCOHOL PRODUCT AS AN OVERHEAD STREAM FROM SAID ZONE AND REMOVING AN ALCOHOL-RICH STREAM FROM A LOWER PORTION OF SAID SECOND VAPORIZATION ZONE.