Dehydration of isopropanol

Claim 2

IN THE AZEOTROPIC DEHYDRATION OF AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL WITH DIETHYL ETHER UNDER PRESSURE TO PRODUCE A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS PRODUCT, THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY EXTRANEOUS ODOR-FREE PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AQUEOUS ALCOHOL AND A SUBSTANTIAL EXCESS OF FRESH ETHER TO AN AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATION ZONE, AZEOTROPICALLY DISTILLING SAID MATERIALS, RECOVERING AS A BOTTOMS STREAM AN ALCOHOL PRODUCT CONTAINING LESS THAN 99% BY VOLUME OF ISOPROPANOL AND CONTAMINATED WITH AN EXTRANEOUS ODOR, SEGREGATING SAID ALCOHOL PRODUCT, RECOVERING AS OVERHEAD AN ETHER-WATER MIXTURE, SEPARATING WATER FROM SAID ETHER IN A SEPARATION ZONE, RECYCLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EHTER OT SAID DISTILLATION ZONE, CONING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID EHTER TO A STORAGE ZONE, CONTINUING PASSAGE OF SAID ETHER FROM SAID DISTILLATION ZONE AND SAID STORAGE ZONE TO ETHER-WATER SEPARATION ZONE TILL THE ODOR OF SAID ALCOHOL PRODUCT HAS SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, AND THEREAFTER RECOVERING AN ALCOHOL PRODUCT OF HIGH PURITY CONTAINING MORE THAN 99% BY VOLUME OF ISOPROPANOL.

Claim 3

IN A CONTINUOUS SYSTEM FOR DEHYDRATING AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL WHEREIN DIETHYL ETHER IS CONTACTED WITH AN AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL FEED IN A DISTILLATION ZONE AND THE MIXTURE DISTILLED UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS TO REMOVE OVERHEAD A GASEOUS WATER-DIETHYL ETHER AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE, AT LEAST PARTIALLY DEHYDRATED ISOPROPANOL BEING RECOVERED AS A BOTTOMS PRODUCT, AND WHEREIN THE GASEOUS DIETHYL ETHER-WATER MIXTURE IS CONDENSED IN A CONDENSING ZONE AND THE WATER IS REMOVED FROM SAID MIXTURE IN A WATER SEPARATION ZONE AND ETHER SEPARATED FROM THE WATER IS FINALLY RECYCLED TO THE DISTILLATION ZONE FOR FURTHER CONTACT WITH FRESH AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL FEED, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A SUPPLY OF ETHER IN SAID SYSTEM IN EXCESS OF THE ETHER CIRCULATING BETWEEN THE DISTILLATION ZONE AND THE CONDENSING ZONE WHEREBY THE ETHER WHICH INITIALLY CONTAINS ODOR IMPARTING IMPURITIES IS PURIFIED BY THE ISOPROPANOL WHICH ABSORDS SAID IMPURITIES AND WHEREBY AFTER THE ETHER WITHIN HE SYSTEM IS THUS PURIFIED THE DEHYDRATED ISOPROPANOL PRODUCT IS RECOVERED SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ODORIFEROUS IMPURITIES.

Claim 4

IN A CONTINUOUS SYSTEM FOR DEHYDRATING AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL WHEREIN DIETHYL ETHER IS CONTACTED WITH AN AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL FEED IN A DISTILLATION ZONE AND THE MIXTURE DISTILLED UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS TO REMOVE OVERHEAD A GASEOUS WATER-DIETHYL ETHER AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE, AT LEAST PARTIALLY DEHYDRATED ISOPROPANOL BEING RECOVERED AS A BOTTOMS PRODUCT, AND WHEREIN THE GASEOUS DIETHYL ETHER-WATER MIXTURE IS CONDENSED IN A CONDENSING ZONE AND THE WATER IS REMOVED FROM SAID MIXTURE IN A WATER SEPARATION ZONE AND ETHER SEPARATED FROM THE WATER IS FINALLY RECYCLED TO THE DISTILLATION ZONE FOR FURTHER CONTACT WITH FRESH AQUEOUS ISOPROPANOL FEED, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A SUPPLY OF ETHER IN SAID SYSTEM IN EXCESS OF THE ETHER CIRCULATING BETWEEN THE DISTILLATION ZONE AND THE CONDENSING ZONE WHEREBY THE ETHER WHICH INITIALLY CONTAINS ODOR IMPARTING IMPURITIES IS PURIFIED BY THE ISOPROPANOL WHICH ABSORDS SAID IMPURITIES AND WHEREBY AFTER THE ETHER WITHIN HE SYSTEM IS THUS PURIFIED THE DEHYDRATED ISOPROPANOL PRODUCT IS RECOVERED SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ODORIFEROUS IMPURITIES.