Purification of alcohols

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS IN WHICH ALUMINUM ALKYL IS REACTED WITH A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT OLEFIN TO FORM A HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALUMINUM ALKYL, IN WHICH SAID HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALKYL IS OXIDIZED TO ALUMINUM ALKOXIDE, IN WHICH SAID ALUMINUM ALKOXIDE IS HYDDROLYZED TO PROVIDE A PRODUCT COMPRISING ALCHOHOLS AND IMPURITIES, INCLUDING ESTERS, PARAFFINS, OLEFINS, AND ALDEHYDES, AND IN WHICH SAID PRODUCT IS FRACTIONATED TO RECOVER LOWER MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS, LEAVING A RESIDUE OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS AND SAID IMPURITIES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES (A) REACTING SAID RESIDUE WITH A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALUMINUM TRIALKOXIDE AND ALUMINUM TRIALKYL, WHEREBY SAID HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS ARE CONVERTED TO SUBSTANTIALLY NONVOLATILE ALUMINUMM ALKOXIDES, (B) STRIPPING SAID IMPURITIES FROM SAID NONVOLATILE ALUMINUM ALKOXIDES AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 100 AND ABOUT 200*C. AND A PRESSURE BELOW ABOUT 20 MICRONS OF MERCURY AND (C) THEREAFTER HYDROLYZING SAID NONVOLATILE ALKOXIDE TO REGENERATE SAID HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS.