Light ends recovery in ethyl acrylate process

In a process for the production of ethyl acrylate by the reaction of ethylene with acrylic acid in the presence of a sulfuric acid catalyst wherein the reaction products are distilled in a vacuum distillation system at a reduced pressure less than atmospheric to obtain a liquid ethyl acrylate product and also resulting in a first gaseous light ends stream from said vacuum distillation system containing sulfur dioxide and also containing ethylene, ethyl acrylate and other organic light ends by-products, which said first gaseous light ends stream passes through a vacuum pump providing the reduced pressure for said vacuum distillation system, which said vacuum pump utilizes a liquid seal fluid to provide a liquid seal therein and in which said vacuum pump said first gaseous light ends stream mixes with and is partially absorbed in said liquid seal fluid to result in a gas-liquid mixture which is discharged from said vacuum pump, and which said gas-liquid mixture so discharged is fractionated to recover a liquid recycle stream comprising liquid seal fluid and which said liquid recycle stream is recycled to said vacuum pump, the improvements which comprise (a) utilizing as said liquid seal fluid a normally liquid hydrocarbon which has a minimum boiling point of 425.degree. F. and 90% by weight of which boils within the range of about 425.degree. F. to 800.degree. F., and (b) fractionating said gas-liquid mixture so discharged as to recover a said liquid recycle stream comprising said liquid seal fluid which is substantially free of sulfur dioxide and does not contain in excess of about 40% by weight of ethyl acrylate.