Abstract: A method for separating ethyl acetate from methyl ethyl ketone is described including distilling in an anhydrous condition a mixture of ethyl acetate-methyl ethyl ketone in a plate column in the presence of an effective amount of an organic extractive solvent which has the following properties: (1) is soluble in a boiling ethyl acetate-methyl ethyl ketone mixture; (2) does not form an azeotrope with ethyl acetate or methyl ethyl ketone; (3) boils higher than ethyl acetate and methyl ethyl ketone and (4) in combination with the ethyl acetate-methyl ethyl ketone mixture, results in a relative volatility of ethyl acetate to methyl ethyl ketone greater than 1.20.

Abstract: Ethylene glycol is prepared by reacting methanol and an organic peroxide of the formula R--O--O--R.sub.1, wherein R and R.sub.1 are each an alkyl or aralkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, in the presence of a minor amount of a basic material. Preferably, formaldehyde is present as a reactant in the presence of water. The presence of the basic material reduces the hydrogen ions which are formed and thus reduces the amount of methylal produced.