Shell Oil Comapny

Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij, B.v.

Alexandre Molina

Roel Guillaume Hubertus Leonardus Bastings

Jesse Raymond Black

Vesna Bojovic

Processes and associated reaction systems for the preparation of ethylene carbonate and ethylene glycol from ethylene oxide are provided, particularly processes and associated reaction systems directed to heat integration in the treatment of recycle gas streams.

Heat integration in a process for the preparation of ethylene carbonate and ethylene glycol

Processes for producing ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, and associated reaction systems are similarly provided. Specifically, a process is provided that comprises supplying an overhead absorber stream withdrawn from an absorber to a vapor-liquid separator to yield an aqueous bottoms stream and a recycle gas stream; supplying an aqueous process stream comprising one or more impurities to a distillation apparatus to yield an overhead impurities stream and a purified aqueous process stream; supplying at least a portion of the purified aqueous process stream and an ethylene oxide product stream to the absorber; and contacting the ethylene oxide product stream with the purified aqueous process stream in the absorber in the presence of one or more carboxylation and hydrolysis catalysts to yield a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol.

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Moerdijk, Netherlands

Alexandre Molina