Abstract: Improvement in the known process for producing organic cyclic hydroperoxides, which process includes oxidizing a compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein Ar is an aromatic or saturated cycloaliphatic radical and each R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical or a hydrogenated bicyclic terpene hydrocarbon hydroperoxide with an oxygen-containing gas at a temperature of about 80.degree.-150.degree. C under a pressure of about atmospheric up to about 10 atms., wherein the product, when produced by this process, has an improved activity on the catalysis of olefin polymerization if the oxidation reaction is halted at the point where the produced hydroperoxide has a concentration in the reaction mass of about one to less than 5%.

Abstract: Pure C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkanols are prepared from crude water containing alcohols in a continuous distillation process which includes an extractive distillation zone into which water and crude alcohols are introduced and from which is removed an impurities stream and a dilute aqueous alcohol stream; an alcohol concentration zone into which is introduced a dilute alcohol stream from the extractive distillation zone from which is withdrawn pure concentrated alcohols, a low boiling impurities stream and a high boiling impurities stream; and an impurities concentration zone into which is introduced the impurities stream from the extractive distillation zone and the high and low boiling impurities streams from the alcohol concentration zone from which is withdrawn high and low boiling impurities and an alcohol containing stream which is recycled to the extractive distillation zone with the crude alcohols.