US 7,585,987 B2
Process for producing olefin oxide
Makoto Yako, Osaka (Japan); and Michio Yamamoto, Shiga (Japan)
Assigned to Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, Osaka (Japan)
Filed on Nov. 21, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/984,732.
Application 11/984732 is a continuation of application No. 10/804231, filed on Mar. 19, 2004, granted, now 7,319,156.
Claims priority of application No. 2003-082388 (JP), filed on Mar. 25, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2008/0081919 A1, Apr. 03, 2008
Int. Cl. C07D 301/10 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 549—537  [549/533; 502/64; 502/237; 502/243; 502/344] 5 Claims
 
1. A process for producing propylene oxide, which comprises reacting propylene with oxygen in the presence of a silver catalyst and 0.2 mole to 20 moles of water per mol of propylene, wherein
the silver catalyst is a silver-containing composition obtained by contacting
i) a silver metal or a silver compound or a mixture thereof, with silicon oxide, and optionally an acid, or a nitrogen-containing compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, an amine compound, an acid adduct salt thereof and a quaternary ammonium salt, or
ii) a silver metal or a silver compound or a mixture thereof with an alkaline earth metal carbonate, and at least one selected from the group consisting of an acid, and a nitrogen-containing compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, an amine compound, an acid adduct salt thereof and a quaternary ammonium salt, or
iii) a calcined silver-containing composition obtained by calcining the composition of i), or ii) above,
and wherein a reducing agent may be used to reduce the silver compound
and wherein said water is fed to the reaction.