Patent ID: 8703984
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: B01J,C07D,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for converting reactants comprising ethylene and oxygen or a source of oxygen in a microchannel reactor to form a product comprising ethylene oxide, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the process comprising: reacting the ethylene with the oxygen or source of oxygen in the process microchannel in the presence of a catalyst to form the product, the catalyst comprising Ag and being in the form of particulate solids with a mean particle diameter in the range from about 1 to about 1000 microns, the reactants undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel, the level of selectivity to ethylene oxide being about 70% or higher, the level of conversion of oxygen per pass through the microchannel reactor being about 25% or higher; transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising at least one heat exchange channel in thermal contact with the process microchannel, the process microchannel being cooled using a heat exchange fluid in the heat exchange channel; and flowing the product out of the microchannel reactor, the product flowing out of the microchannel reactor being at a temperature in the range from about 50° C. to about 300° C.