Processes for the manufacture of acetals

A process for preparing acetals from aldehydes and alcohols is carried out by generating a reaction/distillation zone charged with an acidic fixed bed catalyst in a distillation column, feeding the aldehyde and the alcohol to the reaction/distillatlon zone and at least partly converting them to the acetal, heating the column bottom disposed below the reaction/distillation zone in order to at least partly evaporate the bottom's mixture and to establish a defined temperature in the reaction/distillation zone, feeding an extractant into a rectifying section of the column, disposed above the reaction/distillation zone and condensing a product having more than 90% by weight of acetal at the top of the column.