Abstract: A process for the recovery and purification of olefinically unsaturated nitrites from a process stream produced by the ammoxidation of a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising contacting the process stream comprising olefinically unsaturated nitrile with an aqueous quench liquid in a quench apparatus to produce a gaseous quench effluent comprising olefinically unsaturated nitrile; contacting the gaseous quench effluent with a liquid comprising water in an absorber apparatus to form an aqueous mixture comprising absorbed olefinically unsaturated nitrile; withdrawing from the absorber apparatus a side-draw stream comprising water and a bottoms stream comprising olefinically unsaturated nitrile; introducing the bottoms stream to a first distillation column where the bottoms stream is distilled in an extractive distillation to form a top fraction comprising olefinically unsaturated nitrile, and directing the side-draw stream comprising water to the upper portion of the first distillation column to assist with the extra