PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CRUDE LIQUID VINYL ACETATE

1. Process for working up crude liquid vinyl acetate which contains acetic acid and water and also ethyl acetate and, possibly, further smaller amounts of other impurities, by distillation, a mixture essentially containing vinyl acetate and water being obtained as the top product and essentially acetic acid being obtained as the bottom product, and a sidestream, in which ethyl acetate is concentrated, being removed, and the top product being condensed and, after phase separation, part of the vinyl acetate phase being recycled as reflux into the distillation, characterised in that 0.1 to 5% by weight of water, based on the crude liquid vinyl acetate used, is introduced into the distillation, above the point of introduction of the crude liquid vinyl acetate.