Process for producing an oxirane

Abstract

A multiple liquid phase composition and process for preparing an oxirane product, such as epichlorohydrin, including a reaction mixture of: (a) at least one olefin, wherein the olefin is selected from one of (i) an aliphatic olefin or substituted aliphatic olefin, with the proviso that the aliphatic olefin is not propylene, (ii) a cycloaliphatic olefin, (iii) an aromatic olefin, (iv) a cycloaromatic olefin, and (v) mixtures thereof; (b) at least one peroxide compound, (c) at least one catalyst, and (d) and a solvent mixture; wherein the solvent mixture comprises at least (i) at least one alcohol or a combination of alcohols, and (ii) at least one non-reactive co-solvent; wherein the solvents are mixed at a predetermined concentration; wherein the non-reactive co-solvent has a different boiling point than the oxirane product; and wherein the oxirane product partitions into a high affinity solvent during the reaction. The process of the present invention advantageously produces a waste stream with no significant amount of sodium chloride (NaCl). In one embodiment, the present invention includes a process for preparing epichlorohydrin from allyl chloride and hydrogen peroxide including reacting (a) an allyl chloride with (b) hydrogen peroxide, in the presence of (c) a titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) catalyst and (d) in the presence of a predetermined amount of a mixed solvent system; wherein the mixed solvent system includes at least (i) methanol and (ii) at least one non-reactive co-solvent.