Catalyst regeneration process

Abstract

A process for at least partially reactivating the catalytic activity of at least a partially deactivated catalyst following a reaction cycle, the catalyst having been used in a catalytic reaction process for hydrogenating an aromatic epoxide to produce a hydrogenated aliphatic epoxide; said process including contacting the at least partially deactivated catalyst with an oxygen-containing source at a temperature of less than about 100° C. and in the presence of a reactivation solvent for a pre-determined period of time sufficient to at least partially re-oxidize and reactivate the catalyst for further use; and a catalytic reaction process for hydrogenating an aromatic epoxide to produce a hydrogenated aliphatic epoxide including the above reactivating process step; and optionally including a step for washing the deactivated catalyst with a solvent prior to re-oxidizing the deactivated catalyst.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.