Process for the production of a highly purified alcohol

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF CRUDE ALCOHOL MIXTURES PRESENT IN SOLUTION IN CONCENTRATION OF ABOUT 10-15% AND CONTAINING IMPURITIES PREPARED BY A PHOSPHORIC ACID CATALYZED ALCOHOLATION OF ETHYLENE BY ALKALI TREATMENT, DISTILLATION AND RECTIFICATION THEREOF COMPRISING INTRODUCING THE CRUDE ALCOHOL MIXTURE INTO THE UPPERMOST PORTION OF A FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE, INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE SOLUTION HAVING A PH WITHIN THE RANGE OF 8 TO 12 AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 80 TO 100* C. BUT BELOW THE BOILING POINT THEREOF INTO SAID UPPERMOST PORTION OF SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE AT A POINT BELOW THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CRUDE ALCOHOL MIXTURE, WITHDRAWING OVERHEAD FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE A VAPOROUS MIXTURE CONTAINING IMPURITIES WITH SOME ENTRAINED ALCOHOL, CONDENSING SAID VAPOROUS MIXTURE AND INTRODUCING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CONDENSED VAPORS INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE, INTRODUCING AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE SOLUTION AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 80 TO 100*C. BUT BELOW THE BOILING POINT THEREOF INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE AT A POINT SOMEWHAT ABOVE THAT OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CONDENSED VAPORS, WITHDRAWING OVERHEAD FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE A VAPOROUS MIXTURE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ALCOHOL, WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE AN AQUEOUS ALCOHOL SOLUTION FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID UPPERMOST PORTION OF SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE WITH SAID CRUDE ALCOHOL, WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE AN AQUEOUS ALCOHOL SOLUTION, INTRODUCING SAID AQUEOUS ALCOHOL SOLUTION FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE INTO A LOWER INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF A RECTIFICATION ZONE AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID RECTIFICATION ZONE A SUBSTANTIALLY PURE ALCOHOL FRACTION.