Abstract: A process for purifying methanol which comprises introducing crude synthetic methanol obtained by catalytic reaction of carbon oxide and hydrogen into a rectifying column either as such or after it is first introduced into a topping column and distilled with or without the addition of water to remove low-boiling components from the top of the topping column, and distilling it in the rectifying column to withdraw purified methanol from the top of the column and mainly water from the bottom of the column; wherein an auxiliary distillation column is provided side by side with the rectifying column, and the rectifying column and the auxiliary distillation column are operated under particular conditions.

Abstract: A wetted wall type method of humidifying gas with a liquid which is composed, or mainly composed, of water wherein the liquid flows down a heated vertical wall to form a wetted wall and gas flows along the wetted wall in contact with the liquid on the wetted wall to increase the humidity contained in the gas, comprises supplying a greater amount of liquid than the amount of liquid used or evaporated for increasing the humidity, and recirculating the liquid which is not evaporated from an outlet of the wetted wall to a liquid supply portion, the amount of the flowing liquid being adapted to satisfy the following equation:q<5.99.times.10.sup.5 .GAMMA..sup.2.12 (1)wherein q is the heat flux in W/m.sup.2 K where W=watts, K=temperature in degrees Kelvin, and .GAMMA. is the amount of flowing water with regard to the mass of water per unit wet width in kg/ms.

Abstract: An electrolytic cation exchange membrane comprises a first film made of a fluorinated polymer having cation exchange groups and a second film laminated thereon, made of a fluorinated polymer having carboxylic acid groups as its ion exchange groups and containing the following repeating units (A), (B) and (C) and having a smaller thickness and greater specific electric resistance than the first film; ##STR1## where each of X and X' is --F, --Cl or --CF.sub.3, R.sub.f is a perfluoroalkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, M is hydrogen or an alkali metal and Y is selected from the group consisting of --CF.sub.2).sub.x, --O--CF.sub.2).sub.x, ##STR2## where each of x and y is an integer of from 0 to 10 and Z is --F or R.sub.f as defined above, provided that B/A+B+C (molar ratio) and C/A+B+C (molar ratio) are from 0.01 to 0.3 and from 0.05 to 0.5, respectively.