Recovery of hydrocarbon oxidation products

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A WATER-SOLUBLE, HIGHLY REACTIVE HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACROLEIN AND METHACROLEIN FROM A REACTION MIXTURE OBTAINED BY THE CATALYTIC OXIDATION WITH MOLECULAR OXYGEN OF THE OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON CORRESPONDING TO SAID HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT, SAID REACTION MIXTURE COMPRISING SAID HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT IN ADMIXTURE WITH NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS AND INERT GAS, IN WHICH PROCESS SAID HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT IS SEPARATED FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE BY SELECTIVE ABSORPTION IN A LIQUID AQUEOUS SOLVENT IN AN ABSORPTION ZONE, AND SAID HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT IS DISTILLED FROM THE RESULTING RICH AQUEOUS ABSORBATE FORMED IN SAID ABSORPTION ZONE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE COOLING SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER, THEREBY FORMING A LIQUID CONDENSATE PHASE COMPRISING A PART OF SAID HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT AND WATER, AND A VAPOR PHASE COMPRISING THE REST OF SAID HYDROCARBON OXIDATION PRODUCT IN ADMIXTURE WITH SAID NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS AND SAID INERT GAS, COMPRESSING SAID VAPOR PHASE TO A HIGHER PRESSURE THAN THAT MAINTAINED DURING SAID COOLING, INTRODUCING SAID VAPOR PHASE AFTER SAID COMPRESSION INTO SAID ABSORPTION ZONE, MAINTAINING A HIGHER PRESSURE IN SAID ABSORPTION ZONE THAN IN SAID COOLING ZONE, AND SEPARATELY INTRODUCING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID CONDENSATE PHASE AS ABSORPTION LIQUID INTO SAID ABSORPTION ZONE.