Patent ID: 8193374

Claim:
A process for the production of an alkylene carbonate and/or an alkylene glycol comprising: contacting an epoxidation feed comprising an alkene, oxygen, and an epoxidation recycle gas with an epoxidation catalyst in an epoxidation reactor to yield an epoxidation reaction product comprising an alkylene oxide; contacting the epoxidation reaction product with a lean absorbent in the presence of an iodide-containing carboxylation catalyst in an alkylene oxide absorber to yield the epoxidation recycle gas and a fat absorbent containing alkylene carbonate and/or alkylene glycol; and contacting at least a portion of the epoxidation recycle gas with a purification absorbent capable of reducing the quantity of iodide-containing impurities prior to contacting with the epoxidation catalyst.