Basf Se Corporation

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Werner J Witzl

Joaquim Henrique Teles

Ulrich Mueller

Ulrich Müller

Andrei-Nicolae Parvulescu

Dominic Riedel

Daniel Urbanczyk

Meinolf Weidenbach

Markus Weber

Alexander Schroeder

Ulrike Wegerle

Bianca Seelig

Philip Kampe

Luise Spiske

Heiner Schelling

Christian Mueller

Nicolai Tonio Woerz

Marvin Kramp

Bernd Metzen

Tobias Keller

Holger Baer

Peter Bassler

Kai Gumlich

Christian Bartosch

Richard Jacubinas

Karsten Luecke

Alexander SCHRÖDER

Holger BÄR

Disclosed is a process for purifying propylene oxide. A stream Scontaining propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, and an organic compound containing one or more of acetone and propionaldehyde is provided. Propylene oxide is separated from Sby subjecting Sto distillation in a first distillation unit, obtaining a gaseous top stream Senriched in propylene oxide, a liquid bottom stream Senriched in acetonitrile and water, and a side stream Scontaining propylene oxide and enriched in the carbonyl compound; reacting the carbonyl compound in Swith an organic compound containing an amino group to obtain a reaction product; separating propylene oxide from the reaction product in a second distillation unit, obtaining a gaseous top stream Senriched in propylene oxide and a liquid bottoms stream Senriched in the reaction product; and introducing stream Sinto the first distillation unit.

Process for purifying propylene oxide

The present invention is related to a process for preparing propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide or a source of hydrogen peroxide, water, and an organic solvent; (ii) passing the liquid feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation zone comprising an epoxidation catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite, and subjecting the liquid feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation zone, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propene, propylene oxide, water, and the organic solvent; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation zone, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, water, organic solvent, and propene; (iv) separating propene from the effluent stream by distillation, comprising (iv.1) subjecting the effluent stream to distillation conditions in a distillation unit, obtaining a gaseous top stream Senriched in propene compared to the effluent stream subjected to distillation conditions, and a liquid bottoms stream Senriched in propylene oxide, water and organic solvent compared to the effluent stream subjected to distillation conditions; (iv.2) returning a condensed portion of the stream Sto an upper part of the distillation unit.

Process for preparing propylene oxide

A continuous process for preparing propylene oxide proceeds by (a) reacting propene with hydrogen peroxide in a reaction apparatus in the presence acetonitrile as solvent, obtaining a stream S0 containing propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least one further component B; (b) separating propylene oxide from S0, obtaining stream S1 containing acetonitrile, water and B; (c) dividing S1 into streams S2 and S3; (d) subjects S3 to vapor-liquid fractionation in a first fractionation unit, obtaining vapor fraction stream S4a being depleted, relative to S3, of at least one of B and obtaining liquid bottoms stream S4b, and subjecting at least part of vapor fraction stream S4a to vapor-liquid fractionation in a second fractionation unit, obtaining vapor fraction stream S4c and liquid bottoms stream S4 being depleted, relative to S4a, of at least one of B; (e) recycling at least a portion of S4 to (a).

Part-stream distillation

The invention relates to process for the regeneration of a catalyst comprising a titanium containing zeolite as catalytically active material comprising a stage comprising introducing a feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide or a hydrogen peroxide source, and an organic solvent into a reactor containing a catalyst comprising the titanium containing zeolite, subjecting the feed stream in the reactor to epoxidation conditions in the presence of the catalyst, removing a product steam comprising propylene oxide and the organic solvent from the reactor, stopping introducing the feed stream, washing the catalyst with a liquid aqueous system and calcining the washed catalyst.

Process for the regeneration of a titanium zeolite catalyst for propylene epoxidation

A catalytic system containing a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW optionally containing zinc and containing at least one of an inorganic potassium salt and an organic potassium salt is provided. The catalyst system is useful in the preparation of propylene oxide.

Catalyst system for preparing propylene oxide

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a liquid feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, water, optionally propane, and at least one dissolved potassium salt; (ii) passing the feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation reactor comprising a catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW, and subjecting the feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation reactor, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, the at least one potassium salt, optionally propene, and optionally pane; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation reactor, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least a portion of the at least one potassium salt, optionally propene, and optionally propane.

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (a) reacting propene, optionally admixed with propane, with hydrogen peroxide in a reaction apparatus in the presence of acetonitrile as solvent, obtaining a stream Scontaining propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least one further component B, optionally propene and optionally propane, wherein the normal boiling point of the at least one component B is higher than the normal boiling point of acetonitrile and wherein the decadic logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient (log K) of the at least one component B is greater than zero; (b) separating propylene oxide from S, obtaining a stream Scontaining acetonitrile, water and the at least one further component B; (c) dividing Sinto two streams Sand S; (d) subjecting Sto a vapor-liquid fractionation in a fractionation unit, obtaining a vapor fraction stream Sbeing depleted of the at least one component B; (e) recycling at least a portion of S, optionally after work-up, to (a).

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a liquid feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, water, optionally propane, and at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid wherein the molar ratio of potassium relative to phosphorus in the at least one potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid is in the range of from 0.6 to 1.4; (ii) passing the liquid feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation reactor comprising a catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW comprising zinc, and subjecting the liquid feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation reactor, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, the at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid, optionally propene, and optionally propane; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation reactor, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least a portion of the at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid, optionally propene, and optionally propane.

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a liquid feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, water, dissolved potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and optionally propane; (ii) passing the liquid feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation reactor comprising a catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW, and subjecting the liquid feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation reactor; wherein the concentration of the dissolved potassium dihydrogen phosphate in the liquid feed stream is at least 10% of the solubility limit of the potassium dihydrogen phosphate in the liquid feed stream.

Process for the preparation of propylene oxide

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Stade, Germany

Werner J Witzl