Patent ID: 7504525

Claim:
A process for the vapor phase production of epoxides, said process comprising passing a feedstock over a catalyst bed and recovering an epoxide product; wherein said catalyst is made by a process comprising: selecting a refractory inorganic carrier; lowering a concentration of one or more ionizable species present on a surface of said carrier and optionally drying said carrier, wherein said ionizable species comprise silicates; and depositing on the carrier a catalytically effective amount of one or more catalytically reactive metals comprising silver and optionally depositing a promoter comprising rhenium prior to, coincidentally with, or subsequent to the deposition of the catalytically reactive metal(s), wherein said deposition of the catalytically reactive metal(s) is effected by submersing said carrier in an impregnation solution wherein prior to beginning the deposition a hydrogen ion activity of said impregnation solution is lowered to a pH of at least 13.2.