Method of making molybdenum/alkylene glycol complexes useful as epoxidation catalysts

摘要

An improved procedure for making molybdenum/ethylene glycol complexes useful as epoxidation catalysts wherein the cycle time necessary for catalyst preparation is significantly reduced by preparing a mixture of undiluted ethylene glycol with undiluted ammonium dimolybdate in the molar ratio of about 7 to about 20 moles of ethylene glycol per gram atom of molybdenum, heating the mixture from ambient conditions to a temperature of about 25 DEG to about 150 DEG C. over a 5 to 100 minute period while simultaneously reducing the pressure to about 5 to about 100 mm Hg and, after an appropriate holding time, if necessary, returning the mixture to ambient conditions and recovering an essentially solids free clear catalytically active solution of molybdenum/ethylene glycol complex in unreacted ethylene glycol having a molybdenum content of about 10 to 15 wt. % of molybednum.