ABSTRACT
Propylene oxide only became a chemical of importance after World War II, since which time capacity has grown rapidly. It was the commercial development of ethylene oxide and its derivatives which led to the realization of the potential uses of propylene oxide as a chemical intermediate. Daicel operates a peracetic acid-based propylene oxide plant which produces acetic acid as a co-product. The original process used for the production of propylene oxide was the hydrolysis of propylene chlorohydrin made from propylene and water, and this remained the basis of all manufacture for many years. In the conventional chlorohydrination process, chlorine and water are fed into the base of a tower reactor where the hypochlorous acid formed reacts with propylene introduced about half way up the tower. In spite of the various routes which have been developed, chlorohydrination and organic peroxidation still dominate the commercial processes used for the manufacture of propylene oxide.
