Process for the preparation of ethylene glycol

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol from ethylene comprising the steps of:

• a) supplying a first gas composition comprising ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide to an ethylene oxide absorber through a gas inlet, the absorber comprising an absorption section of vertically stacked trays, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through the absorption section;
• b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards through the absorption section;
• c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent on the trays in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis to produce a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene glycol and ethylene carbonate;
• d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorber;
• and
• e) withdrawing a second gas composition from the top of the absorber;
• wherein the first gas composition comprises from 1 to 7 mol % of ethylene oxide, the second gas composition comprises from 1 to 10 mol % carbon dioxide and the temperature of the first gas composition is from 60° C. to 160° C.