Patent ID: 8110698

Claim:
A process for production of diaryl carbonate, comprising: reacting an epoxide and carbon dioxide in a first reaction zone to form first reaction product comprising a cyclic carbonate; transesterifying the cyclic carbonate with ethanol in the presence of a first transesterification catalyst in a second reaction zone to form a second reaction product comprising diethyl carbonate and glycol; separating the second reaction product to recover a first diethyl carbonate fraction and a first glycol fraction; transesterifying at least a portion of the first diethyl carbonate fraction with an aryl hydroxy compound in the presence of a second transesterification catalyst in a third reaction zone to form a third reaction product comprising ethyl aryl carbonate and ethanol; separating the third reaction product to recover an ethyl aryl carbonate fraction and a first ethanol fraction; disproportionating at least a portion of the ethyl aryl carbonate fraction in the presence of a disproportionation catalyst in a fourth reaction zone to form a fourth reaction product comprising diaryl carbonate and diethyl carbonate; separating the fourth reaction product to recover a diaryl carbonate fraction and a second diethyl carbonate fraction; recycling at least a portion of the first ethanol fraction to the second reaction zone; and recycling at least a portion of the second diethyl carbonate fraction to the third reaction zone.