Process for preparing ethylene glycol from a carbohydrate source

Abstract

Ethylene glycol is prepared from a carbohydrate source in a process, wherein hydrogen, the carbohydrate source, a liquid diluent and a catalyst system are provided as reactants into a reaction zone; wherein the catalyst system comprises a tungsten compound and at least one hydrogenolysis metal selected from the noble metals Pd, Pt, Ru, Rh, Ir and combinations thereof; wherein the carbohydrate source is introduced into the reaction zone such that in the reaction zone the concentration of the carbohydrate source in the diluent is at least 4% wt, calculated as weight of carbohydrate source per weight of diluent; wherein the amount of the at least one hydrogenolysis metal selected from the noble metals Pd, Pt, Ru, Rh, Ir and combinations thereof ranges from 0.2 to 1.0% wt, calculated as the metal and based on the amount of carbohydrate source introduced into the reaction zone; wherein the molar ratio of tungsten to the at least one hydrogenolysis metal is in the range of 1 to 25; and wherein the carbohydrate source is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of the catalyst system to yield an ethylene glycol-containing product.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.