Process of azeotropic distillation of formic acid from acetic acid

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING FORMIC ACID FROM ITS MIXTURE WITH ACETIC ACID COMPRISING: REMOVING THE ACETIC ACID AS A BOTTOMS PRODUCT IN A FIRST DISTILLATION IN WHICH THE FORMIC ACID IS DISTILLED OUT THE HEAD OF THE STILL WITH CHLOROFORM WHICH IS AN ENTRAINER COMPLETELY SOLUBLE IN FORMIC ACID AND FORMING AN AZEOTROPIC VAPOROUS MIXTURE FORMED CONDENSING SAID AZEOTROPIC VAPOROUS MIXTURE FORMED IN SAID FIRST DISTILLATION; ADDING WATER TO THE CONDENSATE SO FORMED BY SAID CONDENSATION OF VAPORS; DECANTING THE TWO LAYERS RESULTING FROM SAID ADDITION OF WATER, ONE OF SAID LAYERS BEING THE ENTRAINER-RICH LAYER CONTAINING MINOR AMOUNTS OF FORMIC ACID AND WATER, THE OTHER OF SAID LAYERS BEING A WATER-RICH LAYER CONTAINING MOST OF THE FORMIC ACID AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF ENTRAINER; RETURNING SAID ENTRAINER-RICH LAYER TO SAID FIRST DISTILLATION AS A REFLUX WASH; PASSING THE WATER-RICH LAYER FORMED FROM SAID DECANTATION TO A SECOND DISTILLATION WHEREIN THE ENTRAINER DISSOLVED THEREIN IS REMOVED AS AN OVERHEAD PRODUCT IN A SECONDARY AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATION WITH SOME OF THE FORMIC ACID AND SOME OF THE WATER WHILE MOST OF THE FORMIC ACID AND MOST OF THE WATER DISCHARGES AS A BOTTOMS PRODUCT; CONDENSING THE VAPORS OF SAID AZEOTROPIC MIXTURES FORMED IN SAID SECOND DISTILLATION; AND DECANTING THE TWO PHASES SO OBTAINED.