Patent ID: 8329959

Claim:
A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkylene oxide, comprising steps of (a) supplying alkylene oxide, water, a homogeneous carboxylation catalyst and a homogeneous hydrolysis catalyst as liquid reagents to a carboxylation zone of a reactor, (b) using one or more ejectors to mix carbon dioxide and the liquid reagents in the carboxylation zone so that alkylene oxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the presence of water to form a reaction solution comprising alkylene carbonate, water, the homogeneous carboxylation catalyst and the homogeneous hydrolysis catalyst; (c) supplying the reaction solution from the carboxylation zone to a hydrolysis zone of a reactor, wherein alkylene carbonate and water react to form a product solution comprising alkylene glycol, the homogeneous carboxylation catalyst and the homogeneous hydrolysis catalyst; (d) supplying carbon dioxide released by the reaction of alkylene carbonate and water in the hydrolysis zone to the carboxylation zone; and (e) withdrawing the product solution from the hydrolysis zone.