Disclosed is a process for recovering formic acid from a formate ester of a C.sub.3 to C.sub.4 alcohol. Disclosed is also a process for producing formic acid by carbonylating a C.sub.3 to C.sub.4 alcohol, hydrolyzing the formate ester of the alcohol, and recovering a formic acid product. The alcohol may be dried and returned to the reactor. The process enables a more energy efficient production of formic acid than the carbonylation of methanol to produce methyl formate.

Disclosed is a process for recovering formic acid from a formate ester of a C.sub.3 to C.sub.4 alcohol. Disclosed is also a process for producing formic acid by carbonylating a C.sub.3 to C.sub.4 alcohol, hydrolyzing the formate ester of the alcohol, and recovering a formic acid product. The alcohol may be dried and returned to the reactor. The process enables a more energy efficient production of formic acid than the carbonylation of methanol to produce methyl formate.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture including at least one fluorocarboxylic acid and at least one carboxylic acid are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes and systems configured to provide a purified stream of fluorocarboxylic acid and a purified stream of carboxylic acid, even when the mixture includes an azeotrope, a pinch point, and/or a eutectic mixture of the fluorocarboxylic acid and carboxylic acid. Systems as described herein may include, for example, at least one distillation zone and at least one fractional crystallization zone arranged in series and configured to provide highly purified product streams having compositions heretofore unachievable by conventional means.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture including at least one fluorocarboxylic acid and at least one carboxylic acid are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes and systems configured to provide a purified stream of fluorocarboxylic acid and a purified stream of carboxylic acid, even when the mixture includes an azeotrope, a pinch point, and/or a eutectic mixture of the fluorocarboxylic acid and carboxylic acid. Systems as described herein may include, for example, at least one distillation zone and at least one fractional crystallization zone arranged in series and configured to provide highly purified product streams having compositions heretofore unachievable by conventional means.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture including at least one fluorocarboxylic acid and at least one carboxylic acid are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes and systems configured to provide a purified stream of fluorocarboxylic acid and a purified stream of carboxylic acid, even when the mixture includes an azeotrope, a pinch point, and/or a eutectic mixture of the fluorocarboxylic acid and carboxylic acid. Systems as described herein may include, for example, at least one distillation zone and at least one fractional crystallization zone arranged in series and configured to provide highly purified product streams having compositions heretofore unachievable by conventional means.

An arrangement for separating chemicals comprises a first distillation column (100) and the first distillation column (100) receives a mixture that comprises water and at least two organic acids and extractant that comprises at least one of the following: hexanol, an ester of hexanol with said at least one organic acid and 2-methylpentanol. The first distillation column (100) forms a heterogeneous azeotrope of water and extractant at its top (104) on the basis of reactive heteroazeotropic extractive distillation not controlling chemical reactions between the extractant and said at least two organic acids, said first distillation column (100) removing the azeotrope through its top (104) for separating water from the organic acid.

An arrangement for separating chemicals comprises a first distillation column (100) and the first distillation column (100) receives a mixture that comprises water and at least two organic acids and extractant that comprises at least one of the following: hexanol, an ester of hexanol with said at least one organic acid and 2-methylpentanol. The first distillation column (100) forms a heterogeneous azeotrope of water and extractant at its top (104) on the basis of reactive heteroazeotropic extractive distillation not controlling chemical reactions between the extractant and said at least two organic acids, said first distillation column (100) removing the azeotrope through its top (104) for separating water from the organic acid.

An arrangement for separating chemicals comprises a first distillation column (100) and the first distillation column (100) receives a mixture that comprises water and at least two organic acids and extractant that comprises at least one of the following: hexanol, an ester of hexanol with said at least one organic acid and 2-methylpentanol. The first distillation column (100) forms a heterogeneous azeotrope of water and extractant at its top (104) on the basis of reactive heteroazeotropic extractive distillation not controlling chemical reactions between the extractant and said at least two organic acids, said first distillation column (100) removing the azeotrope through its top (104) for separating water from the organic acid.

The invention relates to a process to separate formic acid from methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF) said process comprising subjecting a composition comprising formic acid and MTHF to distillation, characterized in that the process comprises adding water to said distillation. This allows for cost-efficient recovery and recycling of MTHF, for example in process to produce and recover formic acid from a biomass hydrolysate.

The invention relates to a process to separate formic acid from methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF) said process comprising subjecting a composition comprising formic acid and MTHF to distillation, characterized in that the process comprises adding water to said distillation. This allows for cost-efficient recovery and recycling of MTHF, for example in process to produce and recover formic acid from a biomass hydrolysate.