Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process comprising providing a feedstock comprising said one or more saccharides in a solvent to a reactor, said reactor having supported therein a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalytic composition and contacting the feedstock therein directly with said heterogeneous hydrogenation catalytic composition and concurrently with a retro-aldol catalyst composition in the presence of hydrogen, wherein said reactor operates in an essentially plug flow manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing an 1,2-alkylene carbonate comprising (i) contacting carbon dioxide, an 1,2-alkylene oxide and a carbonation catalyst in a reactor to produce a crude reactor effluent containing carbon dioxide, light components, 1,2-alkylene carbonate and catalyst; (ii) separating carbon dioxide and light components from the crude reactor effluent to form a bottoms stream containing 1,2-alkylene carbonate and catalyst; (iii) distilling the bottoms stream formed in step (ii) to form a first distillation overhead stream containing 1,2-alkylene carbonate and a first distillation bottoms stream containing catalyst, and recycling at least part of the first distillation bottoms stream to the reactor; and (iv) distilling the first distillation overhead stream to form a second distillation overhead stream and a second distillation bottoms stream containing 1,2-alkylene carbonate, and recycling at least part of the second distillation overhead stream to the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, wherein an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 500° C. to obtain a reactor effluent comprising ethylene and/or propylene and the oxygenate feedstock is contacted with the catalyst in a riser reactor having a reactor wall defining a flow trajectory towards a downstream outlet for reactor effluent, wherein at least oxygenate feedstock and catalyst are provided at one or more upstream inlets of the riser reactor and wherein a water quench medium is admitted to the riser reactor at one or more of locations along the length of the flow trajectory through a plurality of inlets distributed along the periphery of the reactor wall. The invention further provides a reaction system suitable for preparing ethylene and propylene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, comprising the steps of providing an oxygenate feed comprising oxygenate and C4 olefins to a first reaction zone; contacting the oxygenate feed with a first zeolite-comprising catalyst and retrieving from the first reaction zone a first effluent stream comprising at least C2 to C5 olefins; separating the first effluent stream into at least: a first product stream comprising C2 and/or C3 olefins; a second fraction comprising C4 olefins; a third fraction comprising C5 olefins; and recycling at least part of the second fraction to the first reaction zone as part of the oxygenate feed; providing an olefinic feed comprising C5 olefins to a second reaction zone, wherein the olefinic feed comprises at least part of the third fraction; and contacting in the second reaction zone the olefinic feed with a second zeolite-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 500 to 700° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene oxide, comprising the steps of: producing ethylene resulting in a stream comprising ethylene and ethane; separating the stream comprising ethylene and ethane into a stream comprising ethylene and ethane in which stream the amount of ethylene is greater than the amount of ethane and a stream comprising ethane and ethylene in which stream the amount of ethane is greater than the amount of ethylene; producing ethylene oxide by subjecting ethylene and ethane from the stream comprising ethylene and ethane, in which stream the amount of ethylene is greater than the amount of ethane, to oxidation conditions resulting in a stream comprising ethylene oxide, unconverted ethylene and ethane; and recovering ethylene oxide from the stream comprising ethylene oxide, unconverted ethylene and ethane.

Abstract: A process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, wherein oxygenates and olefins are converted to ethylene and/or propylene over a zeolite-comprising catalyst, in two reaction steps. The catalyst is circulated in the reaction system.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an olefin product, which process comprises the steps of: a) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion system, comprising a reaction zone in which an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with an oxygenate conversion catalyst under oxygenate conversion conditions, to obtain a conversion effluent comprising olefins and paraffins; b) separating at least a portion of the paraffins from the conversion effluent to form a paraffin stream; and c) recycling at least a portion of the paraffin stream to step a).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene oxide, comprising the steps of: producing ethylene resulting in a stream comprising ethylene and ethane; separating the stream comprising ethylene and ethane into a stream comprising ethylene and ethane in which stream the amount of ethylene is greater than the amount of ethane and a stream comprising ethane and ethylene in which stream the amount of ethane is greater than the amount of ethylene; producing ethylene oxide by subjecting ethylene and ethane from the stream comprising ethylene and ethane, in which stream the amount of ethylene is greater than the amount of ethane, to oxidation conditions resulting in a stream comprising ethylene oxide, unconverted ethylene and ethane; and recovering ethylene oxide from the stream comprising ethylene oxide, unconverted ethylene and ethane

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of an alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate comprising: reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture comprising dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, alkanediol, unconverted alkylene carbonate and an alkoxy alkanol impurity; and subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation in a series of steps.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of an alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate comprising: reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture comprising dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, alkanediol and unconverted alkylene carbonate; and then subjecting the mixture to separation in three distillation columns.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a diaryl carbonate from a dialkyl carbonate and an aryl alcohol using a series of reactive distillation columns.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of an alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate comprising: (a) reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture comprising dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, alkanediol, unconverted alkylene carbonate and an alkoxy alkanol impurity; (b) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation in a first distillation column to obtain a top stream comprising dialkyl carbonate, alkanol and alkoxy alkanol impurity and a bottom stream comprising alkanediol and alkylene carbonate; (c) subjecting the bottom stream from the first distillation column to distillation in a second distillation column to obtain a top stream comprising alkanediol and a bottom stream comprising alkylene carbonate; (d) subjecting the lop stream from the first distillation column to distillation in a third distillation column in the presence of a catalyst to effect reaction of the alkoxy alkanol impurity with the dialkyl ca

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a diaryl carbonate from a dialkyl carbonate and an aryl alcohol using a series of reactive distillation columns.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of an alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate comprising: reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture comprising dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, alkanediol and unconverted alkylene carbonate; and then subjecting the mixture to separation in three distillation columns.

Abstract: An alkylene carbonate and an alkanol are subjected to transesterification to yield a dialkyl carbonate and alkanediol in a process comprising (a) introducing the alkylene carbonate and an alkanol feedstock into a reaction zone to react in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to yield an alkanediol-rich stream and a stream comprising dialkyl carbonate and alkanol, which streams are separated; (b) passing the stream comprising dialkyl carbonate and alkanol to an extractive distillation zone in which an extractant is added to the stream; (c) obtaining from the extractive distillation zone an alkanol-rich vapor stream and a bottom stream containing the extractant and the dialkyl carbonate; (d) separating the bottom stream from step (c) in a second non-extractive distillation zone to yield a dialkyl carbonate-rich top stream and a extractant-rich bottom stream; and (e) at least partly recycling the extractant-rich bottom stream to the extractive distillation zone, wherein the extractant-rich bottom str

Abstract: An alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate are prepared in a process comprising: (a) reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol feedstock in a reaction zone under transesterification conditions to obtain a product mixture of dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, the alkanediol, and unconverted alkylene carbonate; (b) separating dialkyl carbonate and unconverted alkanol from the product mixture to obtain a bottom product stream containing alkanediol and unconverted alkylene carbonate; (c) recovering the dialkyl carbonate; and (d) separating alkanediol from the bottom product stream to leave a recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate, wherein the recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate is split in at least two portions, and at least one portion is recycled to the reaction zone and another portion is subjected to hydrolysis to yield alkanediol and carbon dioxide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a diaryl carbonate by transesterification of an aromatic alcohol with a dialkyl carbonate in the presence of a transesterification catalyst during a period of time [ta], in which the aryl moiety is selected from unsubstituted phenyl and mono-, di- and trisubstituted phenyl groups, in which the alkyl moiety is selected from C2 to C4 linear and branched alkyl groups, in which the catalyst concentration is designated [ca], expressed as gram catalyst per gram of aromatic alcohol and dialkyl carbonate, in which the period of time [tm] and catalyst concentration [cm] are determined to arrive at a pre-set approach to the equilibrium for the transesterification of the aromatic alcohol with dimethyl carbonate to methyl aryl carbonate and methanol, in which the product [ca]*ta is at least 1.5*[cm]*tm under otherwise the same reaction conditions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing an 1,2-alkylene carbonate comprising: i) contacting carbon dioxide, an 1,2-alkylene oxide and a carbonation catalyst in a reactor to produce a crude reactor effluent containing carbon dioxide, light components, 1,2-alkylene carbonate and catalyst; ii) separating carbon dioxide and light components from the crude reactor effluent to form a bottoms stream containing 1,2-alkylene carbonate and catalyst; iii) distilling the bottoms stream formed in step (ii) to form a first distillation overhead stream containing 1,2-alkylene carbonate and a first distillation bottoms stream containing catalyst, and recycling at least part of the first distillation bottoms stream to the reactor; and iv) distilling the first distillation overhead stream to form a second distillation overhead stream and a second distillation bottoms stream containing 1,2-alkylene carbonate, and recycling at least part of the second distillation overhead stream to the reactor.