Alcohol recovery process

A process for recovering alcohols from acid/alcohol feedstreams comprising aqueous sulfuric acid solutions containing from 40 to 80 wt. % sulfuric acid and containing at least one saturated mono-alcohol having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms per molecule, which comprises (a) contacting said acid/alcohol feedstream in an extraction zone with an effective amount of an extraction solvent selected from the group consisting of neo-acids having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms per molecule for a time and under conditions sufficient to selectively extract said alcohol from said feedstream and to form a first liquid phase comprising an alcohol-enriched carboxylic acid extract containing said alcohol in a concentration of from about 5 to 20 weight percent and a second liquid phase comprising an aqueous sulfuric acid raffinate depleted in alcohol and having a sulfuric acid acid strength of at least 1 wt. % greater than the sulfuric acid acid strength in said acid/alcohol feedstream, (b) introducing said alcohol-enriched carboxylic acid extract to a vaporization zone and contacting said extract therein with a substantially anhydrous stripping gas comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of N.sub.2, olefins of from 3 to 8 carbon atoms and alkanes of from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, in an amount and under conditions sufficient to form an overhead product comprising at least a majority of said alcohol passed to said vaporization zone alcohol and an alcohol-depleted carboxylic acid extraction solvent liquid having a carboxylic acid concentration of from about 1.01 to 1.15 times greater than the concentration of said carboxylic acid in said alcohol-enriched carboxylic acid extract, (c) recovering said alcohol vapors, and (d) recycling at least a portion of said alcohol-depleted carboxylic acid extraction solvent liquid to said extraction zone.