Abstract: Methods for conditioning an ethylene epoxidation catalyst are provided. The conditioning methods comprise contacting an ethylene epoxidation catalyst comprising a carrier, having silver and a rhenium promoter deposited thereon, with a conditioning feed gas comprising oxygen for a period of time of at least 2 hours at a temperature that is above 180° C. and at most 250° C., wherein the contacting of the ethylene epoxidation catalyst with the conditioning feed gas occurs in an epoxidation reactor and in the absence of ethylene. Associated methods for the epoxidation of ethylene are also provided.

Abstract: A catalyst for the epoxidation of an olefin comprising a carrier and, deposited on the carrier, silver, a rhenium promoter, a first co-promoter, and a second co-promoter; wherein the quantity of the rhenium promoter deposited on the carrier is greater than 1 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst; the first co-promoter is selected from sulfur, phosphorus, boron, and mixtures thereof; the second co-promoter is selected from tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and mixtures thereof; and the total quantity of the first co-promoter and the second co-promoter deposited on the carrier is at most 3.8 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst; a process for preparing the catalyst; a process for preparing an olefin oxide by reacting a feed comprising an olefin and oxygen in the presence of the catalyst; and a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, a 1,2-carbonate, or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: Methods for conditioning an ethylene epoxidation catalyst are provided. The conditioning methods comprise contacting an ethylene epoxidation catalyst comprising a carrier, having silver and a rhenium promoter deposited thereon, with a conditioning feed gas comprising oxygen for a period of time of at least 2 hours at a temperature that is above 180° C. and at most 250° C., wherein the contacting of the ethylene epoxidation catalyst with the conditioning feed gas occurs in an epoxidation reactor and in the absence of ethylene. Associated methods for the epoxidation of ethylene are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a reaction system for the production of an alkylene carbonate and/or an alkylene glycol comprising: an epoxidation zone containing an epoxidation catalyst located within an epoxidation reactor; a carboxylation zone containing an iodide-containing carboxylation catalyst located within an alkylene oxide absorber; and one or more purification zones containing a purification absorbent capable of reducing the quantity of iodide-containing impurities in a feed comprising a recycle gas, which purification zones are located upstream from the epoxidation zone; and a process for the production of an alkylene carbonate and/or an alkylene glycol.

Abstract: A process is provided for the start-up of an ethylene epoxidation process comprising: (a) contacting a catalyst bed comprising a high selectivity epoxidation catalyst with a feed comprising ethylene, oxygen and an organic chloride for a period of time until an increase of at least 1×10?5 mole-% of vinyl chloride (calculated as the moles of vinyl chloride relative to the total gas mixture), preferably 2×10?5 mole-% of vinyl chloride is detected in a reactor outlet gas or a recycle gas loop; and (b) subsequently adjusting the quantity of organic chloride in the feed to a value sufficient to produce ethylene oxide at a substantially optimum selectivity.

Abstract: Processes for the epoxidation of ethylene are provided in which, following start-up, an epoxidation catalyst is contacted with a feed comprising ethylene, oxygen, carbon dioxide in an amount below 2.0 vol. %, and a chloride moderator to achieve a desired work rate at a first operating temperature T1. The composition of the feed is subsequently adjusted (e.g., by decreasing the ethylene concentration, decreasing the oxygen concentration, increasing the carbon dioxide concentration and/or adjusting the concentration of the chloride moderator) so as to increase the first operating temperature T1 to a second operating temperature T2 while maintaining the desired work rate. As the catalyst activity declines, the composition of the feed is further adjusted so as to maintain the desired work rate at the second operating temperature T2.

Abstract: Reactor systems are provided that comprise a purification zone comprising an absorbent which comprises silver, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and a support material having a surface area of more than 20 m2/g, and a reaction zone comprising a catalyst, which reaction zone is positioned downstream from the purification zone.

Abstract: A catalyst for the epoxidation of an olefin comprising a carrier and deposited on the carrier, silver, a promoting amount of one or more promoters selected from the group consisting of alkali metals and rhenium and a promoting amount of nickel, wherein the nickel is added as a nickel compound or nickel complex during the initial impregnation along with the silver and other promoters; including a process for preparing the catalyst; a process for preparing an olefin oxide by reacting a feed comprising an olefin and oxygen in the presence of the catalyst; and a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, a 1,2-carbonate, or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: Reactor systems are provided that comprise a purification zone comprising an absorbent which comprises silver, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and a support material having a surface area of more than 20 m2/g, and a reaction zone comprising a catalyst, which reaction zone is positioned downstream from the purification zone.

Abstract: A catalyst for the epoxidation of an olefin comprising a carrier and, deposited thereon, silver, a rhenium promoter, a first co-promoter, and a second co-promoter; wherein the quantity of the rhenium promoter deposited on the carrier is greater than 1 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst; the first co-promoter is selected from sulfur, phosphorus, boron, and mixtures thereof; the second co-promoter is selected from tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and mixtures thereof; the total quantity of the first co-promoter and the second co-promoter deposited on the carrier is at most 5.0 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst; and wherein the carrier has a monomodal, bimodal or multimodal pore size distribution, a pore diameter of 0.01-200 ?m, a specific surface area of 0.03-10 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.2-0.7 cm3/g, wherein the median pore diameter is 0.1-100 ?m, and a water absorption of 10-80%.

Abstract: A catalyst composition comprising a support having a surface area of at least 500 m2/kg, and deposited on the support: silver metal, a metal or component comprising rhenium, tungsten, molybdenum or a nitrate- or nitrite-forming compound, and a Group IA metal or component comprising a Group IA metal having an atomic number of at least 37, and in addition potassium, wherein the value of the expression (QK/R)+QHIA is in the range of from 1.5 to 30 mmole/kg, wherein QHIA and QK represent the quantities in mmole/kg of the Group IA metal having an atomic number of at least 37 and potassium, respectively, present in the catalyst composition, the ratio of QHIA to QK is at least 1:1, the value of QK is at least 0.01 mmole/kg, and R is a dimensionless number in the range of from 1.5 to 5, the units mmole/kg being relative to the weight of the catalyst composition.

Abstract: A process for the epoxidation of an olefin comprising contacting a reactor feed comprising an olefin, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, with a catalyst comprising a carrier and, deposited on the carrier, silver, a rhenium promoter, and a potassium promoter; wherein the carbon dioxide is present in the reactor feed in a quantity of at most 3 mole percent based on the total epoxidation reactor feed; the potassium promoter is deposited on the carrier in a quantity of at least 0.5 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst; and the carrier contains water leachable potassium in a quantity of less than 55 parts per million by weight, relative to the weight of the carrier; a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, a 1,2-carbonate, or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: The invention provides a reaction system for the production of an alkylene carbonate comprising: an epoxidation zone containing an epoxidation catalyst located within an epoxidation reactor; a carboxylation zone containing an bromide-containing carboxylation catalyst located within an alkylene oxide absorber; and one or more purification zones containing a purification absorbent capable of reducing the quantity of bromide-containing impurities in a feed comprising a recycle gas, which purification zones are located upstream from the epoxidation zone; and a process for the production of an alkylene carbonate and an alkylene glycol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for improving the overall selectivity of an EO process for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide utilizing a highly selective EO silver catalyst containing a rhenium promoter wherein following normal operation a chloride strip of the chloride on the surface of the catalyst is conducted in order to remove a portion of the chlorides on the surface of the catalyst. The chloride strip involves the addition of certain saturated hydrocarbons to the feed. Following the chloride strip, the catalyst is optionally re-optimized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for improving the overall selectivity of an EO process for converting ethylene to ethylene oxide utilizing a highly selective EO silver catalyst containing a rhenium promoter wherein following normal operation a hard strip of the chloride on the surface of the catalyst is conducted in order to remove a portion of the chlorides on the surface of the catalyst. Following the hard strip, the catalyst is optionally re-optimized. Surprisingly, it has been found that the selectivity of the catalyst following the hard strip may be substantially higher than the selectivity prior to the hard strip.

Abstract: A process is provided for preparing a carrier which process comprises incorporating into the carrier at any stage of the carrier preparation a strength-enhancing additive. Also provided is the resultant carrier having incorporated therein a strength-enhancing additive and a catalyst comprising the carrier. Also provided is a process for the epoxidation of an olefin employing the catalyst. Also provided is a method of using the olefin oxide so produced for making a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor system comprising: —one or more purification zones comprising an absorbent which comprises silver, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and a support material having a surface area of more than 20 m2/g, and —a reaction zone comprising a catalyst, which reaction zone is positioned downstream from the one or more purification zones; an absorbent; a process for reacting a feed comprising one or more feed components; and a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, a 1,2-carbonate, or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: A process is provided for preparing a carrier which process comprises incorporating into the carrier at any stage of the carrier preparation a strength-enhancing additive. Also provided is the resultant carrier having incorporated therein a strength-enhancing additive and a catalyst comprising the carrier. Also provided is a process for the epoxidation of an olefin employing the catalyst. Also provided is a method of using the olefin oxide so produced for making a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: A process for the epoxidation of an olefin comprising contacting a reactor feed comprising an olefin, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, with a catalyst comprising a carrier and, deposited on the carrier, silver, a rhenium promoter, a first co-promoter, and a second co-promoter; wherein the carbon dioxide is present in the reactor feed in a quantity of at most 3 mole percent based on the total epoxidation reactor feed; the first co-promoter is selected from sulfur, phosphorus, boron, and mixtures thereof; and the second co-promoter is selected from tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and mixtures thereof; a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, a 1,2-carbonate, or an alkanolamine.

Abstract: A process for preparing a rejuvenated epoxidation catalyst, for the epoxidation of one or more olefins using the rejuvenated epoxidation catalyst to produce olefin oxide, and for the production of a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether, or an alkanol amine from the olefin oxide, the process comprising: providing a quantity of spent epoxidation catalyst having a cumulative alkylene oxide production of 0.16 kT/m3 of the spent epoxidation catalyst or more; and, depositing additional silver on the spent epoxidation catalyst in an amount of 0.2% w or more, based on the weight of the spent epoxidation catalyst.