Process for preparing ethylene glycol

摘要

Ethylene glycol is prepared by a process in which ethylene oxide is extracted from an aqueous solution with near-critical or super-critical carbon dioxide. Thereafter an ethylene oxide-carbon dioxide-water mixture is contacted with a catalyst to form ethylene carbonate, which is then hydrolyzed to ethylene glycol in the presence of the same catalyst. The ethylene glycol is separated as product and the carbon dioxide and the catalyst are recycled.