METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF ACETONITRILE FROM WATER

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING ACETONITRILE FROM WATER, COMPRISING (I) PROVIDING A STREAM S1 CONTAINING AT LEAST 95 WT.-%, BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF S1, ACETONITRILE AND WATER, WHEREIN THE WEIGHT RATIO OF ACETONITRILE: WATER IS GREATER THAN 1; (II) ADDING A STREAM P, COMPRISING AT LEAST 95 WT.-% C3, BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF STREAM P, TO S1 TO OBTAIN A MIXED STREAM S2, C3 BEING PROPENE OPTIONALLY ADMIXED WITH PROPANE WITH A MINIMUM WEIGHT RATIO OF PROPENE : PROPANE OF 7:3; (III) SUBJECTING S2 TO A TEMPERATURE OF 92 °C AT MOST AND A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 1 MPA (10 BAR), OBTAINING A FIRST LIQUID PHASE L1 ESSENTIALLY CONSISTING OF C3, ACETONITRILE, AND WATER, AND A SECOND LIQUID PHASE L2 ESSENTIALLY CONSISTING OF WATER AND ACETONITRILE WHEREIN THE WEIGHT RATIO OF ACETONITRILE : WATER IN L2 IS LESS THAN 1; (IV) SEPARATING L1 FROM L2.