PROCESS FOR REFINING ETHYLENE GLYCOL

A process is described for recovering polyester-grade ethylene glycol from crude ethylene glycol containing at least one component which has a normal boiling point below that of ethylene glycol, and which can form a UV absorber in the presence of ethylene glycol which comprises supplying to an ethylene glycol distillation system, preferably comprising a fractional distillation zone having an upper portion, a lower portion and an intermediate portion a crude ethylene glycol stream at a determined pH of less than about 7.5; maintaining within the intermediate portion of the fractional distillation zone a diluent having a boiling point below that of the at least one component, such as methanol, at a concentration sufficient to reduce the formation of UV absorber in the intermediate portion wherein at least ethylene glycol, the at least one component and the diluent, are present, and withdrawing ethylene glycol substantially free of the at least one component from the lower portion of the fractional distillation zone.