eight separation stages including the reboiler 80 stage 28 and partial condenser 90 stage 1 the reactors all contain beds of the catalyst as described and are connected to stages 11 16 via pipes 105 116 that allow liquid on the respective stages to be circulated through the respective reactors reactor operating conditions which are dictated by the reaction kinetic requirements temperature pressure and weight hourly space velocity are independently controlled by heat exchangers and pumps which are not shown the arrangement allows temperature and pressure conditions to be significantly different from those that exist in the distillation column although the draw stream rates can be any value it is preferable that they are comparable to the internal flow rates of the distillation column the design and operating conditions staging above and below the draw stages reflux ratio pressure of the distillation column 10 are dictated by the separation requirements of the reacting system in this embodiment ten stages are provided above and below the draw stages the condenser system condenser 90 and receiver 100 is partial vapor liquid with condenser pressure maintained below atmospheric about 8 psia and the reflux ratio through flow line 134 is about 7 total liquid being withdrawn via flow line 132 ethanol is withdrawn via flow line 133 with the vacuum being maintained through the vapor outlet 135 feed phenol in flow line 101 recycle phenol in flow line 102 and feed diethyl carbonate in flow line 103 are combined in flow line 104 and fed to the first draw stage of the column 10 as shown in the material balance contained in table i.