vent stream 45 whereas it is clear from the data that an air oxidation system cannot achieve this amount of transfer an additional improvement to the prior art of air oxidation is a significantly lower cooled vent gas flow 28 as compared to the vent flow 28 fig1 from an air oxidation system equilibrium calculations were conducted based on the epa model parameters with the assumption that the cooled vent gas 28 is cooled to 54 u00b0 c at these conditions the present invention cooled vent gas 28 flow rate was less than 0 035 m3 sec and approximately 1 of the methanol entering the condenser in stream 45 remained in the cooled vent gas stream 28 whereas the cooled vent gas 28 flow rate from the air oxidation system was 12 7 m 3 sec and approximately 82 of the methanol entering the condenser in stream 45 remained in the cooled vent gas stream 28 this very low flow gas stream from the present invention which has been depleted in oxygen can be discharged safely into the existing low volume high concentration non condensible gas system lvhc the gases of the lvhc system are typically combusted in the lime kiln.