METHOD OF PRODUCING PROPYLENE OXIDE Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC C07D301/12 C07D301/36 

FIELD: chemical or physical processes.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a continuous method of producing propylene oxide, comprising a starting step and a normal operating stage, where the normal operating stage comprises (i) continuously providing a liquid stream of incoming material containing propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, potassium formate, water and optionally propane, where in molten stream of incoming material, molar amount of potassium formate relative to molar amount of hydrogen peroxide at a given time during normal operating stage is a^N(Fo/H₂O₂); (ii) continuously passing the liquid stream of incoming material provided at step (i) into an epoxidation zone containing a catalyst comprising zeolite containing titanium having a MWW frame structure type, and subjecting the incoming material liquid stream to the epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation zone, obtaining a reaction mixture containing propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, potassium formate, optionally propene and optionally propane; (iii) continuously removing the effluent from the epoxidation zone, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least part of potassium formate, optionally propene and optionally propane; where the normal operating stage is characterized by an average conversion rate of aN(Fo/H₂O₂) of less than 0 h^-1. Invention also relates to a method of increasing catalyst selectivity to propylene oxide.

EFFECT: technical result is increased selectivity with respect to propylene oxide as a valuable product and reduced selectivity with respect to undesirable by-products, such as oxygen and methoxypropylene glycol.

19 cl, 3 tbl, 2 dwg, 8 ex