Multistage condensation process

Claim 1

A process comprising: (a) distilling a multi-component liquid in a distillation column under conditions effective to provide an overhead fraction having a temperature differential of at least 20° F. between its dew point and its bubble point; (b) condensing a first portion of the overhead fraction in a first condensation zone; (c) passing vapor and liquid from the first condensation zone and separating said vapor and said liquid, and accumulating said liquid in a first accumulation section of an accumulating zone, said accumulating zone also comprising a second accumulation section having vapor communication with the first accumulation section but being separated from said first accumulation section by a barrier which provides limited flow of liquids between the first accumulation section and the second accumulation section near or at the bottom of said barrier, the first accumulation section and the second accumulation section being at different liquid temperatures; (d) passing said vapor to a second condensation zone and condensing the bulk of the vapor in said zone at a lower temperature than in the first condensation zone to form a liquid and passing the condensed liquid to the second accumulation section of the accumulating zone.