Process for the recovery of oxazole

1. A continuous process for the recovery of oxazole from a mixture comprising oxazole and acetonitrile comprising:

contacting the mixture with an aqueous solution comprising an acid to convert at least a portion of the oxazole into an oxazole acid salt and to dissolve at least a portion the oxazole acid salt into the aqueous solution;

separating the aqueous solution comprising the dissolved oxazole acid salt from the mixture;

contacting the aqueous solution after separation with a base to neutralize at least a portion of the oxazole acid salt to form released oxazole; and

recovering at least a portion of the released oxazole.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises about 1 to about 60 weight percent oxazole and about 1 to about 80 weight percent acetonitrile.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises about 10 to about 60 weight percent oxazole and about 10 to about 80 weight percent acetonitrile.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprising oxazole and acetonitrile comprises about 10 to about 40 weight percent oxazole, up to about 3 weight percent hydrogen cyanide, about 10 to about 40 weight percent water, and about 45 to about 60 weight percent acetonitrile.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprising oxazole and acetonitrile comprises about 10 to about 60 weight percent oxazole, about 1 to about 20 weight percent water, about 40 to about 60 weight percent acetonitrile, about 0 to about 5 weight percent methanol, about 0 to about 15 weight percent acetone, about 0 to about 5 weight percent allyl alcohol and no more than about 300 ppm by weight hydrogen cyanide.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the base comprises sodium hydroxide.

8. A continuous process for the recovery of oxazole comprising:

contacting a mixture comprising oxazole and acetonitrile with an acid to form an acid salt of oxazole;

separating the acid salt of the oxazole from the mixture;

neutralizing the acid salt of oxazole separated from the mixture to release oxazole.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the mixture comprises about 1 to about 60 weight percent oxazole and about 1 to about 80 weight percent acetonitrile.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein the mixture comprises about 10 to about 60 weight percent oxazole and about 10 to about 80 weight percent acetonitrile.

11. The process of claim 8 wherein the mixture comprises about 10 to about 40 weight percent oxazole, up to about 3 weight percent hydrogen cyanide, about 10 to about 40 weight percent water, and about 45 to about 60 weight percent acetonitrile.

12. The process of claim 8 wherein the mixture comprises about 10 to about 60 weight percent oxazole, about 1 to about 20 weight percent water, about 40 to about 60 weight percent acetonitrile, about 0 to about 5 weight percent methanol, about 0 to about 15 weight percent acetone, about 0 to about 5 weight percent allyl alcohol and no more than about 300 ppm by weight hydrogen cyanide.

13. The process of claim 8 wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid.

14. The process of claim 8 wherein the neutralization comprises reacting the acid salt with a base.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the base comprises sodium hydroxide.

16. The process of claim 8 wherein prior to contacting the mixture with an acid to form the acid salt of oxazole, the mixture is contacted with a base.

17. The process of claim 16 wherein the base is one or more of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.

18. The process of claim 16 wherein the mixture comprises water and the amount of base used is about 2 to about 4 moles of base per mole of water present.