1. A PROCESS FOR PREPARING NORMAL BUTENE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTNG A C4 HYDROCARBON FEED STREAM CONTAINING ISOBUTYLENE AND NORMAL BUTENES WITH SULFURIC ACID TO OBTAIN ABSORPTION OF A MAJOR PORTION OF THE ISOBUTYLENE IN SAID SULFURIC ACID, SEPARATING AN EXTRACT STREAM FROM AN ACIDIC RAFFINATE STREAM, FEEDING SAID RAFFINATE STREAM DIRECTLY TO AN INTERMEDIATE HYDROCARBON FEED PLATE TO A MULTIPLATE DISTILLATION COLUMN, FEEDING LIQUID CAUSTIC SOLUTION TO A PLATE ABOVE SAID HYDROCARBON FEED PLATE TO OBTAIN A COUNTERCURRENT FLOW OF LIQUID CAUSTIC TO THE ASCENDING HYDROCARBON VAPORS IN SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN, HOLDING LIQUID CAUSTIC SOLUTION IN SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN ON SAID INTERMEDIATE HYDROCARBON FEED PLATE IN AN AMOUNT AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZE THE ACIDS CONTAINED IN SAID RAFFNATE STREAM AND RECOVERING OVERHEAD SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZED C4 HYDROCARBONS.

5. A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SECONDARY BUTANOL AND SEPARATION OF C4 HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A SUBSTANTIALLY ISOBUTYLENE-FREE C4 HYDROCARBON STREAM CONTAINING 25 TO 95 WT. PERCENT OF NORMAL BUTYLENES WITH 75 TO 85 WT. PERCENT SULFURIC ACID TO OBTAIN AN ACID EXTRACT CONTAINING NORMAL BUTYLENES, SEPARATING SAID ACID EXTRACT FROM THE RESULTING ACIDIC RAFFINATE STREAM CONTAINING C4 HYDROCARBONS, DILUTING SAID ACID EXTRACT TO ABOUT 40 TO 50 WT. PERCENT SULFURIC ACID CONCENTRATION AND STRIPPING SAID EXTRACT TO OBTAIN SECONDARY BUTANL, PASSING SAID ACIDIC RAFFINATE STREAM DIRECTLY TO AN INTERMEDIATE FEED PLATE OF MULTIPLATE DISTILLATION COLUMN, FEEDING LIQUID CAUSTIC SOLUTION TO A PLATE ABOVE SAID IANTERMEDIATE FEED PLATE TO OBTAIN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW OF LIQUID CAUSTIC TO THE ASCENDING HYDROCARBON VAPORS IN SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN, HOLDING LIQUID CAUSTIC SOLUTION IN CONTACT WITH SAID RAFFINATE STREAM ON SAID INTERMEDIATE FEED PLATE FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZE SAID RAFFINATE AND DISTILLING C4 HYDROCARBONS OVERHEAD FROM SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN.