ETHYLBENZENE HYDROPEROXIDE PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: petrochemical industry. SUBSTANCE: invention is intended for use in combined propylene oxide-styrene production process. Invention consists in subjecting ethylbenzene to liquid-phase catalytic oxidation into ethylbenzene hydroperoxide at elevated temperature with oxygen- containing gas in presence of, as catalyst, mixture of compounds of constant-valence metals from 3rd and/or 4th periods of 1a and/or 2a groups or variable-valence metals from 4th period of 7 and/or group, summary amount of metals being 0.0001-0.0031% (calculated as metals) and ratio of summary amount of constant-valence metals to that of variable-valence metals ranging from 300:1 to 1: 100. Catalyst can be pretreated at 0 to 150 C with oxygen- and/or nitrogen-containing organic compound, and/or peroxide compound, and/or ozone. Oxygen- containing organic compound may be organic hydroperoxide, ketone, alcohol, carboxylic acid, or their mixture, and nitrogen-containing organic compound may be Mannich base, hydroxyquinoline, alkyl- and dialkylhydroxylamine, or their mixtures. Oxidation is carried out in series of 3-5 reactors at 110-160 C. Catalyst can be introduced into reactor with recycling ethylbenzene. EFFECT: increased selectivity of process. 5 cl, 16 ex