Selective synthesis of propylene oxide through liquid-phase epoxidation of propylene with H2O2 over formed Ti-MWW catalyst

Abstract

The liquid-phase epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide (PO) over formed titanosilicate catalysts was investigated in a fixed-bed reactor. The effects of reaction temperature, n(C3=)/n(H2O2) molar ratio, and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of H2O2 or solvent on the catalytic performance of the formed Ti-MWW catalyst have been extensively studied. Adding an appropriate amount of ammonia to the reaction mixture prolonged the catalyst lifetime effectively. The main byproduct of propylene glycol (PG) and other heavy byproducts with high boiling points were deposited inside zeolite micropores, which corresponded to the main reason for the catalyst deactivation. The high-temperature calcination in air recovered readily the reactivity of the deactivated catalyst. Fluorine implantation remarkably enhanced the reactivity and lifetime of the catalyst in the hydrogen peroxide propylene oxide (HPPO) process, exhibiting a PO selectivity of >99%.