Process for separating water from organic multiple component mixtures by distillation

Claim 1

A distillation process for the removal of water from organic multiple component mixtures containing water and consisting essentially of carboxylic acids having less than 5 carbon atoms and esters thereof, at least one of said organic components being partly miscible with water and being an azeotrope forming agent, comprising the steps of: introducing said organic multiple component mixture containing water into an inlet of a distillation column, azeotropically distilling overhead the water and the partly miscible azeotrope forming agent in said distillation column; condensing the resultant azeotropic distillate and separating the condensate into a water layer which is removed and an azeotrope forming agent layer; separating substantially all of the azeotrope forming agent layer into two parts and recycling one part to the top of the distillation column and the other part to the column at a point at or below the mixture inlet; and removing said organic multiple component mixture, free or almost free of water as a bottoms product.