Ethylene oxide recovery

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING ETHYLENE OXIDE IN ADMIXTURE WITH NORMALLY GASEOUS, MATERIALS COMPRISING OXIDES OF CARBON WHEREIN ETHYLENE OXIDE IS SEPARATED FROM SAID MIXTURE BY ABSORPTION IN AN AQUEOUS SOLVENT THEREBY FORMING A FAT AQUEOUS SOLVENT RICH IN DISSOLVED ETHYLENE OXIDE AND CONTAINING NORMALLY GASEOUS IMPURITIES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF OXIDES OF CARBON, AND AN AQUEOUS FRACTION COMPRISING ETHYLENE OXIDE IN ADMIXTURE WITH CONTAMINATING AMOUNTS OF NORMALLY GASEOUS IMPURITIES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF OXIDES OF CARBON IS STRIPPED FROM SAID RESULTING FAT AQUEOUS SOLVENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID AQUEOUS FRACTION INTO A STRIPPING ZONE, SEPARATING A VAPOR FRACTION CONSISTING OXIDES OF CARBON FROM A LIQUID FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AQUEOUS ETHYLENE OXIDE FREE OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OXIDES OF CARBON IN SAID STRIPPING ZONE, PASSING SAID LIQUID FRACTION FROM SAID STRIPPING ZONE INTO A DEHYDRATING ZONE, AND DISTILLING A VAPOR FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM SAID LIQUID FRACTION IN SAID DEHYDRATING ZONE.