Patent ID: 7351310

Claim:
A process for rectificatively separating fluids comprising (meth)acrylic monomers in a rectification column by directly cooling the vapor comprising: forming a top condensate including (meth)acrylic monomers by allowing the (meth)acrylic monomers to rise to the top of the rectification column; separating a condensation space at the top of the column from the region of the rectification column containing a separating internals only by at least one chimney tray which has at least one chimney, from which the top condensate formed is removed from the rectification column, effecting the direct cooling of the vapor in the condensation space in at least two spray zones, which are spatially successive and are flown through by vapor, by spraying in each of the at least two spray zones supercooled top condensate including added polymerization inhibitor through spray nozzles; and lowering a temperature of the sprayed supercooled top condensate from spray zone to spray zone in the flow direction of the vapor.