ABSTRACT
Most propylene oxide is made by homogeneous reactions (the non-catalytic chlorohydrin process and various homogeneous catalyzed epoxidations of isobutane or ethylbenzene). Epoxidation processes (i.e., oxirane) yield two major products: propylene oxide plus tert-butyl alcohol with isobutane as the feed and propylene oxide plus 1-phenylethanol. The tert-butyl alcohol can be dehydrated to valuable isobutylene, and 1-phenylethanol is dehydrated to styrene. The heterogeneous-catalyzed expoxidation is called the
Styrene Monomer-Propylene Oxide Process,
because the carbinol thus produced is readily dehydrated to styrene.
