A continuous process for the liquid phase epoxidation of an olefinic compound, which is a hexene, octene, decene, dodecene, cyclohexene, 4-vinylcyclohexene, styrene, methylenecyclohexane or terpene with an oxidant, which process comprises reaction of the olefinic compound with tert -butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) wherein the ratio of olefin to oxidant is from 1:1 to 20:1, in the absence of solvent other than that associated with the oxidant, in the presence of a catalyst in an apparatus that comprises a reactive distillation column, which comprises (i) a reactive section, which comprises the catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises molybdenum complexed to an organic support through the intermediacy of a nitrogen based ligand; (ii) a rectifying section situated above the reactive section and adapted to allow separation of reagents from products (iii) a stripping section situated below the reactive section and adapted to allow separation of product from reagents (iv) a vessel situated below the stripping section and adapted to provide a source of heat for the column and in which initial vaporisation of one or more of the reagents can occur, wherein the temperature in the reactive section (i) is a temperature at which the reaction between the olefinic compound and the oxidant takes place and the temperature in the stripping section (iii) is higher than the temperature in the rectifying section (ii), wherein the catalyst is held in the reactive section within a rolled belt-shaped permeable particle container comprising two sheets of mesh, or one sheet of mesh folded, which is packed or filled with catalyst and sealed closed so that the catalyst is held in the particle containerwherein the particle container comprises soldered stripes that are from 1 to 3 cm apart and positioned so that their longer side is parallel to the shorter side of the container and wherein the length of each stripe is less than the length of the short side of the container and the permeable particle container is rolled to a suitable diameter so that it fits in the reactive section of the reactive distillation column. a reactive distillation column, which comprises (i) a reactive section, which comprises the catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises molybdenum complexed to an organic support through the intermediacy of a nitrogen based ligand; (ii) a rectifying section situated above the reactive section and adapted to allow separation of reagents from products (iii) a stripping section situated below the reactive section and adapted to allow separation of product from reagents (iv) a vessel situated below the stripping section and adapted to provide a source of heat for the column and in which initial vaporisation of one or more of the reagents can occur, (i) a reactive section, which comprises the catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises molybdenum complexed to an organic support through the intermediacy of a nitrogen based ligand; (ii) a rectifying section situated above the reactive section and adapted to allow separation of reagents from products (iii) a stripping section situated below the reactive section and adapted to allow separation of product from reagents (iv) a vessel situated below the stripping section and adapted to provide a source of heat for the column and in which initial vaporisation of one or more of the reagents can occur, wherein the temperature in the reactive section (i) is a temperature at which the reaction between the olefinic compound and the oxidant takes place and the temperature in the stripping section (iii) is higher than the temperature in the rectifying section (ii), wherein the catalyst is held in the reactive section within a rolled belt-shaped permeable particle container comprising two sheets of mesh, or one sheet of mesh folded, which is packed or filled with catalyst and sealed closed so that the catalyst is held in the particle containerwherein the particle container comprises soldered stripes that are from 1 to 3 cm apart and positioned so that their longer side is parallel to the shorter side of the container and wherein the length of each stripe is less than the length of the short side of the container and the permeable particle container is rolled to a suitable diameter so that it fits in the reactive section of the reactive distillation column.