TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL COMPOSITIONS

There is provided a process for reducing the water and carboxylic acid content of an alcohol composition comprising at least one alcohol having from one to four carbon atoms, water and at least one carboxylic acid having from one to four carbon atoms, wherein said process comprises: (a) forming a vapour phase alcohol composition A and a liquid phase alcohol composition B from the alcohol composition; (b) separating a second vapour phase alcohol composition C and an aqueous phase D from the liquid phase alcohol composition B in a distillation column, wherein the aqueous phase D contains the majority of the carboxylic acid that was present in the liquid phase alcohol composition B; (c) passing the vapour phase alcohol composition A to a drying unit comprising a desiccant; (d) passing the vapour phase alcohol composition C to a drying unit comprising a desiccant; and (e) recovering an alcohol composition from the drying unit of step (c) and the drying unit of step (d); wherein the recovered alcohol composition of step (e) has a reduced water and carboxylic acid content.