Process for the preparation of alkylene glycols

1. A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol, said process comprising continuously passing an alkylene oxide, carbon dioxide and water over a catalytic composition comprising an active anion, selected from the group consisting of metalates, carbonate, bicarbonate and hydroxide, immobilized on a first solid support having one or more electropositive sites and a halide immobilized on the first or a second solid support having one or more electropositive sites, wherein the carbon dioxide is added in an amount of at least 0.5 mol/mol alkylene oxide.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the halide is an iodide.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the active anion is a metalate selected from the group consisting of molybdates, vanadates and tungstates.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metalate is a molybdate.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the active anion is selected from the group consisting of carbonate, bicarbonate and hydroxide.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second solid support contains a quaternary ammonium, quaternary phosphonium, quaternary arsenonium, quaternary stibonium or a ternary sulfonium cation.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second solid support contains a quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphonium cation.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the active anion and the halide are immobilized on the same type of solid support material.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solid support comprises a strongly basic ion exchange resin selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylate polymer or a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalytic composition is prepared by reacting a hydroxide form ion exchange resin with hydrogen halide and then reacting the resultant mixture with molybdic acid.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water is present in the range of from 0.2 to 25 mol/mol alkylene oxide present in the reaction mixture.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water is present in the range of from 0.5 to less than 15 mol/mol alkylene oxide present in the reaction mixture.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the water is present in the range of from 0.5 to 5 mol/mol alkylene oxide present in the reaction mixture.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the total amount of carbon dioxide supplied to the reactor is in an amount in the range of from 0.5 to 100 mol/mol alkylene oxide.

15. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the total amount of carbon dioxide supplied to the reactor is in an amount in the range of from 1 to 10 mol/mol alkylene oxide.

16. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alkylene oxide is ethylene oxide.

17. The process as claimed in claim 16 , wherein an ethylene oxide/water mixture, formed by absorption of an ethylene oxide product stream from a direct oxidation ethylene oxide reactor, is contacted with the catalytic composition.

18. A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol, said process comprising continuously passing ethylene oxide, carbon dioxide and water over a catalytic composition comprising a molybdate anion immobilized on a first solid support having one or more electropositive sites and an iodide anion immobilized on the first or a second solid support having one or more electropositive sites, wherein the carbon dioxide is added in an amount of at least 0.5 mol/mol alkylene oxide.