Separation of cyclopentanone

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CYCLOPENTANONE BY THE DEHYDROGENATION OF CYCLOPENTANOL UNDER CONDITIONS SUCH THAT WATER IS FORMED AS A BY-PRODUCT AND FORMS A WATER-RICH SOLUTION WITH THE CYCLOPENTANONE PRODUCT, THE METHOD FOR PURIFYING THE CYCLOPENTANONE PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SUCH A LIQUID SOLUTION INTO A FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE, REMOVING FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE A BOTTOM PRODUCT COMPRISING WATER AND AN OVERHEAD PRODUCT COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY AN AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE OF CYCLOPENTANONE AND WATER, CONDENSING SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE TO FORM A LIQUID CYCLOPENTANONE-RICH PHASE AND A LIQUID WATER-RICH PHASE, RETURNING SAID WATER-RICH PHASE TO SAID FIRST DISTILLATION ZONE, PASSING SAID CYCLOPENTANONE-RICH PHASE TO A SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE, REMOVING AN OVERHEAD PRODUCT COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY AN AZEOTROPIC MIXTURE OF CYCLOPENTANONE AND WATER FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE AND PASSING SAME TO THE AFORESAID CONDENSATION STEP, AND REMOVING A BOTTOM PRODUCT COMPRISING CYCLOPENTANONE FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.