	US 12,247,016 B2
	Epoxidation process with increased cycle water absorption
Mansoor Husain, North Brunswick, NJ (US)
Assigned to Scientific Design Company, Inc., Little Ferry, NJ (US)
Filed by Scientific Design Company, Inc., Little Ferry, NJ (US)
Filed on Mar. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/692,822.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/159,780, filed on Mar. 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0289702 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. C07D 301/32 (2006.01)

CPC C07D 301/32 (2013.01)

12 Claims

1. A process for the preparation of ethylene oxide stream comprising:

(a) providing a reactor effluent containing a concentration of ethylene oxide of from about 1.5 mol % to about 2.5 mol %;

(b) cooling lean cycle water in a cooler to a first temperature of about 30° C. to about 50° C.;

(c) contacting the reactor effluent with the lean cycle water to prepare a rich cycle water stream and scrubber overheads;

(d) separating, in a stripping column, a first stripping overhead stream from the rich cycle water stream;

(e) dividing the scrubber overheads into at least a treated stream;

(f) contacting the treated stream with a carbon dioxide-absorbing solvent to form a remaining gas stream and a rich carbonate solution;

(g) separating a regenerator overhead stream from the rich carbonate solution;

(h) adding a cycle water chiller and a tempered water system to provide a modified ethylene oxide process;

(i) providing to the modified ethylene oxide process a second reactor effluent that contains a concentration of ethylene oxide of from about 2.2 mol % to about 4.0 mol %;

(j) cooling a second lean cycle water in the cycle water cooler and the chiller to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is 4° C. to 15° C. lower than the first temperature;

(k) contacting the second reactor effluent with the second lean cycle water to prepare a second rich cycle water stream and second scrubber overheads;

(l) separating a second stripping column overhead stream from the second rich cycle water stream;

(m) dividing the second scrubber overheads into at least a second treated stream;

(n) contacting the second treated stream with a second carbon dioxide-absorbing solvent to form a second remaining gas stream and a second carbonate-rich solution; and

(o) separating a second regenerator overhead stream from the second rich carbonate solution,

wherein the concentration of carbon dioxide in the second regenerator stream is greater than the concentration of carbon dioxide in the regenerator stream and the concentration of the ethylene oxide in the second stripping column overhead stream is greater than the concentration of the ethylene oxide in the stripping column overhead stream.