Patent ID: 7319156

Claim:
A process for producing propylene oxide, which comprises reacting propylene with oxygen in the presence of a silver catalyst and 0.2 mole or more of water per mol of propylene, wherein said water is added to the reaction, and wherein the silver catalyst is a silver-containing composition obtained by contacting i) a silver compound with a reducing agent in the presence of an alkaline earth or rare earth metal carbonate, ii) a silver metal or a silver compound or a mixture thereof, with an inorganic solid oxide, an acid, and a nitrogen-containing compound, iii) a silver metal or a silver compound or a mixture thereof with a metal carbonate, an acid, and a nitrogen-containing compound, iv) a silver compound with an inorganic solid oxide, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a reducing agent, v) a silver compound with a metal carbonate, and an acid, vi) a silver compound with a metal carbonate, and a nitrogen-containing compound, or vii) a calcined silver-containing composition obtained by calcining the composition of i) ii), iii), iv), v), or vi) above.