Process for making ethylene oxide

摘要

This invention relates to a process, comprising reacting ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen in the presence of a catalyst in a reactor to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, wherein the catalyst contains silver or silver compound and a support and the catalyst is in the form of particulate solids having a mean particle diameter from 1 to 1000 μm and wherein the molar ratio of oxygen to ethylene is from 1:4 to 10:1.

主权项

1. A process, comprising:
reacting ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen in the presence of a catalyst in a microchannel reactor to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, wherein the catalyst contains silver or silver compound and a support and the catalyst is in the form of particulate solids having a mean particle diameter from 1 to 1000 μm and wherein the molar ratio of oxygen to ethylene is from 1:2 to 1:1, wherein the gas hourly space velocity is from about 4 000 to 100 000 h−1 and wherein ethylene oxide is produced at a rate of at least 250 kilograms of ethylene oxide per cubic meter of catalyst per hour and having a selectivity to ethylene oxide of at least 82%, maintaining an average temperature in the reaction zone below 250° C. and wherein the process takes place at a pressure from atmospheric to 100 atmospheres and wherein the microchannels have at least one internal dimension of height or width of up to 10 mm, and wherein the contact time of the process fluids with the catalyst within the reactor is in the range from 50 to 900 milliseconds (ms).