Process for recovering acetonitrile

A process for producing acetonitrile, the process comprising:

• treating a feedstock stream comprising methanol, allyl alcohol, oxazole, acetonitrile, water, and hydrogen cyanide to remove hydrogen cyanide and produce an acetonitrile stream comprising less than 1 wt. % hydrogen cyanide,
• distilling the acetonitrile stream in a first distillation column to yield at least a first intermediate acetonitrile stream comprising acetonitrile and oxazole and less than 1 wt % allyl alcohol;
• treating the first intermediate acetonitrile stream to produce a second intermediate acetonitrile stream comprising less than 1 wt % acrylonitrile and less than 1 wt % hydrogen cyanide;
• and
• distilling the second intermediate acetonitrile stream to produce:
• a third distillate comprising acetonitrile, less than 50 wt % water and greater than 0.1 wt % oxazole;
• and
• a third bottoms comprising greater than 90 wt % acetonitrile and allyl alcohol.