Patent ID: 11873285
Assignee: EVONIK OPERATIONS GMBH
Field: Organic fine chemistry (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  Y | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. A process for making propene oxide, comprising:
a) reacting propene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a methanol solvent, of a titanium zeolite epoxidation catalyst, and of at least one nitrogen containing compound present in an amount of from 100 to 3,000 mg/kg of hydrogen peroxide, at a molar excess of propene to hydrogen peroxide, to provide a reaction mixture;
b) separating all or a part of non-reacted propene from the reaction mixture of a), to provide a propene depleted reaction mixture;
c) subjecting the propene depleted reaction mixture of b) to a distillation in a distillation column, to provide an overhead product stream comprising propene oxide and methanol and a bottoms product stream comprising methanol and water; and
d) separating the propene oxide from the overhead product stream of c);
wherein c) is performed after contact with and/or in the presence of an acid provided in an amount providing an apparent pH in the bottoms product stream of from 3 to 4.5.