Patent ID: 8716522

Claim:
A method for separating acetic acid from an acetic acid-containing biomass pyrolysis reactor effluent, the method comprising: (a) providing an acetic acid-containing pyrolysis reactor effluent generated by pyrolyzing biomass; (b) separating at least a portion of the acetic acid-containing pyrolysis reactor effluent in a first separation stage to provide first stage overhead and first stage bottoms products; and (c) recovering acetic acid from the first stage overhead product or the first stage bottoms product; wherein when acetic acid is recovered from the first stage overhead product, acetic acid is recovered as a purified acetic acid product that is depleted in one or more lower boiling oxygenates, and when acetic acid is recovered from the first stage bottoms product, acetic acid is recovered as a purified acetic acid product that is depleted in one or more higher boiling oxygenates.