Process and apparatus for azeotropic recovery of dichlorohydrins

A process and apparatus for recovering dichlorohydrins from a mixture comprising dichlorohydrins, water, one or more compounds selected from esters of dichlorohydrins, monochlorohydrins and/or esters thereof, and multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds and/or esters thereof, and optionally one or more substances comprising chlorinating agents, catalysts and/or esters of catalysts is disclosed. A liquid aqueous phase is recycled to the distillation column while distilling or fractionating the mixture to separate dichlorohydrin(s) and water from the mixture. Advantages include more efficient recovery of dichlorohydrins for a given distillation column, less waste due to avoiding the conditions conducive to the formation of heavy byproducts, and reduced capital investment in recovery equipment.