Method for producing highly pure monoethylene glycol

In a process for the distillative recovery of monoethylene glycol from the hydrolysis product of ethylene oxide which comprises

• (a) a pressure dewatering stage which is conducted in:
• one pressure dewatering column or a battery of pressure dewatering columns,
• wherein the hydrolysis product is fed to the one, or to a first of the battery of, pressure dewatering column(s) at a feeding point between the head and the base of said pressure dewatering column,
• (b) a subsequent vacuum dewatering stage, and
• (c) a purifying distillation of the dewatered monoethylene glycol recovered from the vacuum dewatering stage,
• the improvement which comprises:
• withdrawing an aqueous stream which comprises monoethylene glycol in a concentration below 1% by weight, and additionally medium boilers and low boilers, either
• i) as a side stream from a single vacuum dewatering column which is utilized in stage (b), or
• ii) as an overhead stream from a second of two vacuum dewatering columns which are utilized in stage (b),
• and, optionally after further workup, removing the withdrawn stream from the process.