Studies on the epoxidation of methallyl chloride over TS-1 microsphere catalysts in a continuous slurry reactor

The epoxidation of methallyl chloride (MAC) to 2-methyl epichlorohydrin (MECH) with H2O2 using TS-1 microsphere catalysts (TS-1-MS) in a continuous slurry reactor was investigated. The reaction parameters, which governed the effective conversion of hydrogen peroxide, selectivity to MECH epoxide and catalyst deactivation, were studied in detail by simulating the operating conditions of its industrial process. Under the most beneficial conditions, the process was successfully run for 257 h at a high MECH selectivity (>95%) as well as a high effective conversion of hydrogen peroxide (>97%). The microsphere morphology and particle size were highly maintained for the deactivated TS-1-MS catalyst, which was regenerated readily by a combination of hydrogen peroxide washing and calcination. This research verified that it was possible to develop a green, safe and efficient route for producing MECH by direct epoxidation of MAC with hydrogen peroxide in a slurry reactor. Employing TS-1 microsphere aggregates as a catalyst exhibits the advantage of easy solid–liquid separation.