Abstract: An epoxidation reaction wherein: an olefin and an organic hydroperoxide, preferably, propylene and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide are reacted in a primary reaction zone in a liquid phase with an organic solvent, preferably tertiary butyl alcohol, in the presence of a soluble molybdenum catalyst at a ratio of propylene to tertiary butyl hydroperoxide of from about 0.9:1 to about 3:1, at a reaction temperature from about 100.degree. C. to about 140.degree. C.

Abstract: Complexes made by reacting an ammonium-containing molybdenum compound with an alkylene glycol in the presence of water at an elevated temperature are described. Mild stripping of the water subsequent to complex formation is preferred. If some of the water is left in the complex, it may serve as an excellent olefin epoxidation catalyst. The ratio of moles of alkylene glycol to gram atoms of molybdenum in the complex forming reaction ranges from 7:1 to 20:1. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are the particularly preferred alkylene glycols.

Abstract: Tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and tertiary butyl alcohol are recovered from the reaction product formed by reacting excess propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol in the presence of a soluble molybdenum catalyst, by fractionating the reaction produce to provide distillate propylene, propylene oxide, and tertiary butyl alcohol fractions and a heavy distillation fraction comprising tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, tertiary butyl alcohol and impurities, including dissolved molybdenum catalyst, the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and tertiary butyl alcohol being recovered from the heavy distillation fraction by vacuum evaporation under evaporation conditions including a temperature of about 25.degree. to about 160.degree. C. and a pressure of about 2 to about 200 mm Hg. in order to provide a lighter condensate fraction comprising about 60 to about 95 wt. % of the heavy distillation fraction and containing from about 70 to about 95 wt.

Abstract: A heavy distillation fraction comprising tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, tertiary butyl alcohol, impurities and dissolved molybdenum catalyst resulting from the removel of propylene, propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol from an epoxidation reaction product is mixed with about 5 to about 10 wt. %, based on the weight of the heavy liquid distilation fraction, of a lower aliphatic alcohol containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms to provide a charge mixture, and the charge mixture is:charged to a falling film evaporator and separator therein, under evaporator operating conditions including a temperature within the range of about 20.degree. to about 150.degree. C. and a pressure of about 1 to about 200 mm Hg., into an overhead vaporized fraction comprising substantially all of the aliphatic alcohol and from about 80 to about 95 wt. % of the heavy distillation fraction charged to the falling film evaporator.

Abstract: An impure propylene oxide feedstock contaminated with from about 50 to about 1000 ppm of methanol and from about 0 to about 1 wt. % of acetone is charged to the lower half of an extractive distillation column containing at least about 25 theoretical plates and an extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of a blend of acetone and water (acetone/water blend) containing about 20 to about 30 wt. % of acetone and, correspondingly, about 80 to about 70 wt. % of water is charged to the tower at a point 4 to 7 theoretical stages above the impure propylene oxide feed point; the extractive distillation agent being introduced into the extractive distillation column in the ratio of said feedstock to said extractive distillation agent of from about 5:1 to about 20:1, whereby an overhead distillate fraction is obtained consisting essentially of propylene oxide contaminated with not more than about 60 ppm of methanol, not more than about 0.02 wt. % of acetone and not more than about 0.3 wt. % of water.

Abstract: A process for substantially completely removing a minor amount of molybdenum dissolved in a substantially anhydrous organic solution, such as a heavy distillation fraction resulting from the removal of unreacted propylene, propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol from an epoxidation reaction mixture:wherein from about 1 to about 10 wt. % of an aqueous solution of sodium meta borate containing from about 1 to about 10 wt. % of dissolved sodium meta borate is added to an organic solution containing dissolved molybdenum catalyst in an amount sufficient to provide a molar excess of sodium meta borate, based on the gram atoms of dissolved molybdenum in said organic solution, to provide a mixture,wherein the mixture is maintained at a temperature ranging from about ambient temperature up to about 100.degree. C. at a pressure of about 0 to about 1,000 psig. for about 0.

Abstract: A hydroperoxide charge stock (t-butyl hydroperoxide or t-amyl hydroperoxide) is reacted with a C.sub.3 to C.sub.20 olefin charge stock in liquid phase in a reaction zone in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a soluble molybdenum catalyst to form a product olefin epoxide corresponding to the olefin charge stock and a product alcohol corresponding to the hydroperoxide charge (t-butyl alcohol or t-amyl alcohol), which process is improved in accordance with the present invention by maintaining a reaction medium composed of more than 60 wt % of polar components (hydroperoxide charge stock, product alcohol and product epoxide) in the reaction zone by charging to the reaction zone at least about a 30 wt % solution of the hydroperoxide charge stock in the corresponding product alcohol and charging said olefin charge stock to said reaction zone in an amount relative to the amount of said charged solution of charged hydroperoxide in product alcohol sufficient to provide a ratio of from about 0.

Abstract: Complexes are made by reacting a solid ammoniummolybdate and a solid alkali metal molybdate with ethylene -glycol. Stripping of water of reaction subsequent to complex formation is preferred. The ratio of moles of alkylene glycol to total gram atoms of molybdenum should be in the range from about 7:1 to about 20:1 and the ratio of gram atoms of molybdenum in the ammonium molybdate to gram atoms of molybdenum in the alkali metal molybdenum should be in the range of about 1:1 to about 20:1. Solutions of the complexes are excellent catalysts for the reaction of propylene with an organic hydroperoxide such as tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: Motor-fuel grade tertiary butyl alcohol contaminated with residual amounts of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and ditertiary butyl peroxide (which is prepared, for example, by reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form propylene oxide and a motor fuel grade tertiary butyl alcohol reaction product) can be effectively catalytically treated under mild conversion conditions including a temperature of about 80.degree. to 180.degree. C. with a base-treated hydrogenation catalyst from groups VIB or VIIIB of the Periodic Table in order to substantially selectively convert the two peroxide contaminants to tertiary butyl alcohol and to thereby provide a treated tertiary butyl alcohol product substantially free from contaminating quantities of such peroxides.

Abstract: Complexes are made by reacting a solid ammonium molybdate and a solid alkali metal molybdate with ethylene glycol. Stripping of water of reaction subsequent to complex formation is preferred. The ratio of moles of alkylene glycol to total gram atoms of molybdenum should be in the range from about 7:1 to about 20:1 and the ratio of gram atoms of molybdenum in the ammonium molybdate to gram atoms of molybenum in the alkali metal molybdenum should be in the range of about 1:1 to about 20:1. Solutions of the complexes are excellent catalysts for the reaction of propylene with an organic hydroperoxide such as tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form proplyene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: Methyl formate is removed from propylene oxide by treatment with aqueous calcium hydroxide slurry. Calcium hydroxide solubility is increased by adding a solubilizer selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, maltose, glycerol and mixtures thereof. Methyl formate hydrolysis rate is improved by propylene oxide/water ratio control. Addition of an aldehyde scavenger improves propylene oxide purity.

Abstract: Methyl formate is removed from propylene oxide by treatment with a selected base such as sodium hydroxide in water and glycerol. Selected inert salts may be added. The rate of methyl formate hydrolysis by selected bases was increased to commercially acceptable levels by addition of the glycerol. The glycerol and inert salts reduced the amount of residual water in the propylene oxide.

Abstract: Storage stable solutions of molybdenum/alkanol complexes in the alkanol are prepared by reacting a molybdenum oxide and ammonium hydroxide and an amount of a straight chain or branched chain C.sub.6 -C.sub.13 alkanol, within the range of about 10 to about 55 moles of alkanol per gram atom of molybdenum sufficient to form a storage stable molybdenum/alkanol complex. The complex-forming reaction is initiated in the presence of about 1 to about 4 moles of water per gram atom of molybdenum and about 0.5 to about 10 moles of ammonia per gram atom of molybdenum, the water and ammonia preferably being added in the form of concentrated ammonium hydroxide. The reaction is conducted at a temperature of about 120.degree. to about 190.degree. C. for a period of time, normally about 3 to about 8 hours, sufficient to substantially completely remove ammonia and water to provide a liquid reaction product comprising said solution of molybdenum/alkanol complex dissolved in unreacted alkanol and containing about 0.

Abstract: Storage stable solutions of molybdenum/alkanol complexes in the alkanol are prepared by reacting an ammonium molybdate with an amount of a straight chain or branched chain C.sub.6 -C.sub.13 alkanol, within the range of about 7 to about 20 moles of alkanol per gram atom of molybdenum sufficient to form a storage stable molybdenum/alkanol complex. The complex-forming reaction is initiated in the presence of about 1 to about 4 moles of added water per gram atom of molybdenum and is conducted at a temperature of about 120.degree. to about 190.degree. C. for a period of time, normally about 3 to about 8 hours, sufficient to substantially completely remove ammonia and water to provide a liquid reaction product comprising said solution of molybdenum/alkanol complex dissolved in unreacted alkanol and containing about 0.001 to about 0.1 wt. % of water. The reaction product is filtered to provide a clarified storage stable solution of the molybdenum/alkanol complex.

Abstract: Complexes made by reacting an ammonium-containing molybdenum compound with an alkylene glycol in the presence of water at an elevated temperature are described. Mild stripping of the water subsequent to complex formation is preferred. If some of the water is left in the complex, it may serve as an excellent olefin epoxidation catalyst. The ratio of moles of alkylene glycol to gram atoms of molybdenum in the complex forming reaction ranges from 7:1 to 20:1. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are the particularly preferred alkylene glycols.

Abstract: A method for decomposing organic hydroperoxides to their corresponding alcohols is described. A solution containing the organic hydroperoxides is contacted with cobalt borate or cobalt borate on titanium dioxide catalyst. The hydroperoxide is reduced to at least 0.2 wt. % of the effluent and often less than 0.09 wt. %. Cobalt borate has the added advantage of not leaching cobalt into the effluent unlike known cobalt oxide decomposition catalysts.

Abstract: A process is provided for recovering substantially pure triethylenediamine in liquid lower alkylene diol solutions directly from the crude triethylenediamine reaction mixture without resort to a need to purify the triethylenediamine by crystallization. The process includes initially admixing a lower alkylene diol with a crude triethylenediamine liquid reaction product mixture. The admixture thus formed is then heated to remove water and other low boiling impurities. The crude triethylene diaminediol bottoms mixture is then codistilled to recover a pure triethylene diamine product in diol solvent which can be used directly to catalyze urethane systems.