GB462487A - Improvements in the manufacture of olefiue oxides - Google Patents

Abstract

Olefine oxides are obtained by the direct oxidation of olefines in the presence of a catalyst comprising finely divided silver or gold, alone or together or mixed or alloyed with other metals, which has been subjected to a preliminary heating, prior to comminution, to remove catalyst poisons. The catalyst may be made by disintegrating silver leaf to give a powder passing a sieve of 100 meshes per linear inch. The powder is then annealed at 400--450 DEG C. for about 2 hours to give a weakly coherent mass, and again disintegrated to give a fine powder. It is preferably mixed with water or viscous solutions, e.g. cellulose acetate and applied as a coating to the surface of the reaction chamber, the cellulose acetate &c. being subsequently burned off by heating.ALSO:A catalyst suitable for the direct oxidation of olefines to olefine oxides comprises finely divided silver or gold, alone or together or mixed or alloyed with other metals, which has been subjected to a preliminary heating, prior to comminution, to remove catalyst poisons. The catalyst may be made by disintegrating silver leaf to give a powder passing a sieve of 100 meshes per linear inch. This powder is then annealed at 400--450 DEG C. for about 2 hrs. giving a weakly coherent mass, and again disintegrated to give a fine powder. It is preferably mixed with water or viscous solutions, e.g. cellulose acetate, and applied as a coating to the surface of the reaction chamber, the cellulose acetate &c. being subsequently burned off by heating.