Process for producing epoxides

1. A process for producing epoxide, the process comprising:

(a) mixing (a1) an organic phase comprising at least one halohydrin with (a2) at least one aqueous phase comprising at least one base; wherein the mixing is carried out in a plug-flow mixer/reactor system sufficient to disperse the organic phase in the aqueous phase such that the combined organic phase and aqueous phase form a mixture comprising at least two liquid phases; and imparts a power-to-mass ratio of at least 0.2 W/kg; and

(b) converting at least a portion of the at least one halohydrin to an epoxide.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic phase further comprises at least one haloacid.

3. The process of claim 1 , comprising further the steps of:

(c) feeding at least a portion of the mixture from the mixer/reactor system to a reactive distillation column;

(d) concurrently in the reactive distillation column of step (c):

(i) reacting at least a portion of the at least one halohydrin present in the mixture with the at least one base present in the mixture to form additional epoxide in the reactive distillation column; and

(ii) stripping water and halohydrin from a basic aqueous residue;

(e) recovering water and epoxide from the reactive distillation column as an overheads fraction; and

(f) condensing and phase separating the overheads fraction of step (e) to form (i) an organic overheads fraction comprising an epoxide and (ii) an aqueous overheads fraction comprising water.

4. The process of claim 3 , comprising further the step of: (g) returning at least a portion of the aqueous overheads fraction to the reactive distillation column as reflux.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the at least one base or its halide salt in the aqueous phase mixed in the plug-flow mixer/reactor system is within the range from about 5 weight percent to about 35 weight percent;

wherein the mixing is carried out at a temperature within the range from about 40° C. to about 80° C.;

wherein a conversion of the halohydrin is at least 98 mole percent, and

wherein a selectivity to the epoxide is at least 98 mole percent.

6. The process of claim 1 ; wherein the at least one halohydrin consists essentially of dichlorohydrin and the epoxide consists essentially of epichlorohydrin.

7. The process of claim 1 or claim 6 , wherein the plug-flow/mixer reactor system comprises a mixing device imparting a power-to-mass ratio of at least 3 W/kg.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein the organic phase comprises:

55 to less than 100 percent 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol;

up to 10 weight percent 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol;

up to 10 weight percent HCl; and

up to 25 weight percent water.

9. The process of claim 6 , wherein the organic phase further comprises hydrogen chloride.

10. The process of claim 1 or claim 6 , wherein the mixing of the organic phase and the basic aqueous phase in the plug-flow/mixer reactor system comprises a mixing time in the range from about 10 milliseconds to less than about 60 seconds.

11. The process of claim 3 , wherein the halohydrin consists essentially of dichlorohydrin and the epoxide consists essentially of epichlorohydrin.

12. The process of claim 11 , comprising further the step of: (g) returning at least a portion of the aqueous overheads fraction to the reactive distillation column as reflux.

13. The process of claim 1 or claim 6 , wherein the at least one base comprises at least one of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the aqueous phase mixed in the plug-flow/mixer reactor system further comprises at least one of a sodium halide salt and a calcium halide salt.

15. The process of claim 6 :

wherein a concentration of the at least one base or its halide salt in the aqueous phase mixed in the plug-flow/mixer reactor system is within the range from about 5 weight percent to about 35 weight percent;

wherein the mixing is carried out at a temperature within the range from about 40° C. to about 80° C.;

wherein a conversion of the chlorohydrin is at least 98 mole percent; and

wherein a selectivity to the epichlorohydrin is at least 98 mole percent.