Ethylene recovery in direct-oxidation ethylene oxide processes

摘要

In a direct-oxidation ethylene oxide process of the type comprising a) reacting a feed gas stream including ethylene and a commercially-pure oxygen in one or more reactors and b) absorbing out ethylene oxide from the product stream from the one or more reactors in a first absorption zone, the improvement comprising recovering unreacted ethylene from an ethylene-rich argon purge gas stream via an absorber and a stripper in combination, recycling the recovered ethylene to the feed gas stream, and purging an ethylene-lean argon purge gas stream.