Patent ID: 7700791

Claim:
A method for the oxidation of ethylene to form ethylene oxide which comprises: a) providing a reactor and heat exchanger cooler assembly which includes a tubular reactor having an upper inlet head and a lower outlet head, reaction tubes packed with catalyst within said reactor extending from the upper inlet head to the lower outlet head, said reactor tubes being supported by an inlet end tube sheet and an outlet end tube sheet, a tubular heat exchanger having an upper end and a lower end, and comprising upper and lower end tube sheets supporting tubes within said heat exchanger, the upper end of said heat exchanger being integrally affixed to said reactor lower outlet head, said reactor outlet head having an opening for the passage of reaction gases from the reactor to said heat exchanger and through tubes in said heat exchanger whereby said reaction gases in the heat exchanger are cooled by indirect heat exchange with a heat exchange fluid introduced into said heat exchanger; b) introducing ethylene and oxygen into the reaction tubes and causing the ethylene and oxygen to react within tubes to form a reaction gas comprising ethylene oxide; and c) cooling the reaction gas.