Process for the production of ethylene oxide

Abstract

An improved process for the production of ethylene oxide by catalytic oxidation of ethylene is disclosed wherein reactant ethylene and an oxygen-containing gas are passed through a reaction zone containing a fixed catalyst bed comprising a supported silver catalyst, optionally diluted with an inert refractory particulate, at ethylene oxide forming conditions and the reaction product formed thereby is passed through a cooling zone adjacent to the reaction zone which is filled with an inert refractory particulate, whereby at least partial cooling of the reaction product is effected. In this improved process, the isomerization of ethylene oxide product to acetaldehyde and concomitant yield losses of ethylene oxide are substantially reduced by the use of an inert refractory particulate material having a surface area of 0.1 m.sup.2 /g or less in the cooling zone and, optionally, as an inert diluent in the catalyst bed of the reaction zone.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.