Process for the preparation of alkylene glycol

A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene comprising steps of:

• (a) reacting the alkene with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst in a reactor to produce a gas composition comprising alkylene oxide, alkene, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapour;
• (b) removing water from the gas composition;
• (c) supplying the gas composition from (b) to an alkylene oxide absorber, supplying lean absorbent to the alkylene oxide absorber, contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent in the alkylene oxide absorber in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation, and withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorber, wherein the lean absorbent comprises at least 50 wt % alkylene carbonate and comprises less than 10 wt % water, and wherein the lean absorbent is supplied at a temperature greater than 60° C.;
• (d) supplying a portion of the fat absorbent from step (c) to one or more hydrolysis reactors, supplying water to the one or more hydrolysis reactors, contacting the fat absorbent with water in the presence of one or more hydrolysis catalysts in the one or more hydrolysis reactors, and withdrawing a product stream from the one or more hydrolysis reactors;
• (e) supplying the product stream from step (d) to a dehydrator, removing water and providing a dehydrated product stream;
• and
• (f) purifying the dehydrated product stream from step (e) and providing a purified alkylene glycol product stream.