Abstract: A process for the continuous production of 1,3-dioxolan-2-ones such as ethylene carbonate or propylene carbonate by reacting a corresponding oxirane with carbon dioxide in the liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst comprises conducting the reaction in a two-part reactor in whose first part the reaction is taken with backmixing to a conversion of not less than 80% of the oxirane II and in whose second part the reaction is completed under nonbackmixing conditions, and passing the carbon dioxide in countercurrent to the oxirane II in the entire reactor.

Abstract: A process for preparing substituted imidazoles of the formula I ##STR1## R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, halogen, NO.sub.2, CN or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 -hydrocarbon radical which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more halogens or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together are members of a 3- to 20-membered hydrocarbon ring which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more halogens and/or C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl groups and which may contain 1, 2 or 3 heteroatoms from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, andR.sup.4 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 -hydrocarbon radical which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more halogens,comprises using an aqueous phase of the imidazoles of the formula II ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined above with compounds of the formula IIIR.sup.4 --O--R.sup.5 IIIwhereR.sup.4 is as defined above andR.sup.5 is hydrogen or R.sup.4, it being possible in the latter case for the two R.sup.