US 12,479,781 B2
Process for the preparation of ethylene glycol
Jesse Raymond Black, Houston, TX (US); Gregory John Ward, Houston, TX (US); Christopher Paul Emborsky, Houston, TX (US); and Roel Guillaume Hubertus Leonardus Bastings, Amsterdam (NL)
Assigned to SHELL USA, INC., Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/785,514
Filed by SHELL USA, INC., Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/050008
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 15, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/140063, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20150987 (EP), filed on Jan. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0032856 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. C07C 29/12 (2006.01); B01J 27/08 (2006.01); C07C 29/80 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 29/12 (2013.01) [B01J 27/08 (2013.01); C07C 29/80 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol from ethylene comprising the steps of:
a) supplying a first gas composition comprising ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide to an ethylene oxide absorber through a gas inlet, the absorber comprising an absorption section of vertically stacked trays, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through the absorption section;
b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards through the absorption section;
c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent on the trays in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis to produce a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene glycol and ethylene carbonate;
d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorber; and
e) withdrawing a second gas composition from the top of the absorber;
wherein the first gas composition comprises from 1 to 7 mol % of ethylene oxide, the second gas composition comprises from 1 to 10 mol % carbon dioxide and the temperature of the first gas composition is from 60° C. to 160° C.