Abstract: A process of preparing an alkylene glycol which process involves: i) reacting a respective alkylene oxide and water in a first reactor, ii) removing from the first reactor a reactor output mixture comprising an alkylene glycol and unreacted water, iii) transferring a proportion of the reactor output mixture to a distillation unit and a proportion of the reaction output mixture to a second reactor containing a catalyst, iv) reacting the reaction output mixture in the second reactor with a further amount of the respective alkylene oxide, and v) transferring a reactor output mixture from the second reactor to a distillation unit.

Abstract: A method for the start-up of a process for the epoxidation of an olefin, which method comprises contacting a catalyst bed comprising a silver-based highly selective epoxidation catalyst, or a precursor of the catalyst comprising the silver in cationic form, with a feed comprising oxygen at a temperature of the catalyst bed above 260° C. for a period of at most 150 hours, and subsequently decreasing the temperature of the catalyst bed to a value of at most 260° C., and a process for the epoxidation of an olefin, which process, comprises contacting a catalyst bed comprising a silver-based highly selective epoxidation catalyst, or a precursor of the catalyst comprising the silver in cationic form, with a feed comprising oxygen at a temperature of the catalyst bed above 260° C. for a period of at most 150 hours, and subsequently decreasing the-temperature of the catalyst bed to a value of at most 260° C. and contacting the catalyst with the feed comprising the olefin and oxygen.

Abstract: A high activity and high selectivity silver catalyst comprising silver and, optionally, one or more promoters supported on a suitable support material having the form of a shaped agglomerate. The structure of the shaped agglomerate is that of a hollow cylinder having a relatively small inside (bore) diameter. The catalyst is made by providing the shaped material of a particular geometry and incorporating the catalytic components therein. The catalyst is useful in the epoxidation of ethylene.

Abstract: A reactor system for the oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. The reactor system includes a reactor tube that contains a packed bed of shaped support material that can include a catalytic component. The shaped support material has a hollow cylinder geometric configuration. The reactor system has specific combinations of reactor tube and catalyst system geometries.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for remediation of a fluid contaminated with alkylene oxide, involving contacting the contaminated fluid with an aqueous absorbent to yield a fat absorbent having absorbed fluid, conferring intimate contact of fat absorbent and alkylene oxide and conversion of alkylene oxide; and, an apparatus for remediation of the fluid which has a converter having inlet means connected to the outlet of a fluid absorber for contacting fluid and aqueous absorbent, a holding unit having a volume V for the fat absorbent, and outlet means connected to the inlet of a fluid desorber.

Abstract: A method for the start-up of a process for the epoxidation of an olefin, which method comprises