Patent ID: 7750170
Filing Date: 2010-07-06
Classification: C07D

Abstract:
1. A process for the preparation of ethylene oxide, which process comprises introducing a source of oxygen into one or more process microchannels of a microchannel apparatus and introducing into the same process microchannels a source of ethylene, allowing mixing to take place to form a gaseous product mixture, and conveying the gaseous product mixture to a reactor wherein reaction to ethylene oxide occurs, wherein the microchannel apparatus is located in a recycle gas loop of an ethylene oxide manufacturing plant, wherein the ethylene oxide manufacturing plant comprises the reactor; an ethylene oxide absorber; a carbon dioxide absorber; and interconnecting pipework between the reactor, the ethylene oxide absorber, and the carbon dioxide absorber forming the recycle gas loop wherein the process conditions for the mixing are a pressure in the range of from 1000 to 3500 kPa, and a temperature in the range of from ambient to 250° C.