Methylvinylpyridine recovery

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN A MIXTURE CONTAINING ESSENTIALLY METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE AND METHYLETHYLPYRIDINE IS SUBJECTED TO A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FRACTIONATION TO DISTILL OFF THE METHYLETHYLPYRIDINE, THE BOTTOMS PRODUCT FROM THE SECONDARY FRACTIONATION PASSED TO A FINISHING OPERATION WHEREIN IT IS VACUUM FRACTIONATED TO PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 95+ MOL PERCENT METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE AS OVERHEAD, LEAVING AS KETTLE PRODUCT A VISCOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE AND SOLUBLE METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE POLYMER, THE FLUIDITY OF WHICH DEPENDS ON THE METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE CONTENT, APPROXIMATELY 48 WEIGHT PERCENT OF METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE BEING NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A FLUID KETTLE PRODUCT AT 180-200*F., THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING DILUTING THE BOTTOMS PRODUCT FROM THE SECONDARY FRACTIONATION WITH A SOLVENT FOR THE SOLUBLE POLYMER CONTENT, SAID SOLVENT VAPORIZING ONLY SLIGHTLY AT THE FLASHING TEMPERATURE OF METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE, WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE METHYLVINYLPYRIDINE IN SAID BOTTOMS PRODUCT CAN BE FLASHED OFF WITHOUT LEAVING THE KETTLE PRODUCT TOO VISCOUS TO POUR.