Process for the epoxidation of olefinically unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds with peracetic acid

US4647678A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien · DE

Inventors

• Klemens Eckwert · Goldkronach, DE
• Lutz Jeromin · Hilden, DE
• Alfred Meffert · Monheim, DE
• Eberhard Peukert · Hilden, DE
• Bernhard Gutsche · Hilden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 26, 1985
• Grant date: Mar 3, 1987
• Expiry date: Dec 26, 2005

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B01J2219/0004
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The epoxidation of terminally and/or internally olefinically unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds which are liquid at 50.degree. to 100.degree. C. and at atmospheric pressure (oil phase), in which the oil phase is treated with an acid phase containing acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid in aqueous solution, after which the aqueous acid phase is separated from the oil phase, the peracetic acid in the aqueous acid phase is regenerated and the regenerated aqueous acid phase is returned to the epoxidation reactor. Epoxidation is carried out using an aqueous acid phase containing at most about 10% by weight of peracetic acid, and the peracetic acid content in the aqueous acid phase is reduced by at most about 50%, based on the peracetic acid content of the aqueous acid phase used, after a single passage through the epoxidation stage. After separation from the oil phase, the aqueous acid phase preferably is cooled before regeneration.