Abstract: A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene comprising steps of: a) supplying a gas composition to an alkylene oxide absorber through a gas inlet, the absorber comprising an absorption section and a sump, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards; b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards; c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis; and d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorption section and passing the fat absorbent and any liquid condensate through the sump, wherein the sump comprises one or more baffles that define a flow pathway from a sump inlet to a sump outlet between the one or more baffles.

Abstract: A reactor vessel includes a dipleg connecting a tubular syngas collection chamber and a quench chamber. The collection chamber connects to the dipleg via a slag tap having a frusto-conical part starting from the lower end of the collection chamber and diverging to an opening connected to an interior of the dipleg. The slag tap has a first tubular part connected to the opening of the frusto-conical part and extending in the direction of the dipleg. A second tubular part connects to the frusto-conical part or to the tubular part and extends toward the dipleg. The second tubular part is spaced away from the dipleg to provide an annular space having a discharge conduit. The discharge conduit has a discharge opening located to direct water along the inner wall of the dipleg. At least half of the vertical length of the first tubular part extends below the discharge opening.

Abstract: A reactor vessel for preparing a syngas comprising a tubular syngas collection chamber, a quench chamber and a dipleg connecting the syngas collection chamber with the quench chamber, wherein the syngas collection chamber is connected to the dipleg via a slag tap, comprising a frusto-conical part starting from the lower end of the tubular wall of the syngas collection chamber and diverging to an opening fluidly connected to the interior of the dipleg, wherein the diameter of said opening is smaller than the diameter of the dipleg, and wherein the frusto-conical part comprises one or more conduits having in inlet for cooling medium and an outlet for used cooling medium wherein the slag tap also comprises a first tubular part connected to the opening of the frusto-conical part and extending in the direction of the dipleg, wherein a second tubular part is connected to the frusto-conical part or to the tubular part and extending in the direction of the dipleg and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of