A process for producing ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, comprising: directing a feed comprising gaseous ethylene and gaseous oxygen through a packing of individual shaped catalyst bodies, under conditions conducive to obtain a reaction mixture containing at least 2.7 vol.-% of ethylene oxide, wherein each shaped catalyst body comprises silver deposited on a refractory support and is characterized by a content of at least 20 wt.-% of silver, relative to the total weight of the shaped catalyst body; a BET surface area in the range of 1.6 to 3.0 m.sup.2/g; a first face side surface, a second face side surface and a circumferential surface with a plurality of passageways extending from the first face side surface to the second face side surface; and a uniform multilobed cross-section; and a longest direct diffusion pathway d, with 2d being in the range of 0.7 to 2.4 mm, wherein the longest diffusion pathway d is defined as the shortest distance from the geometric surface of the shaped catalyst body to a point inside the structure of the shaped catalyst body for which point the shortest distance is the largest among all points. The process allows for increased activity and/or stability of the catalyst while maintaining or increasing selectivity at high productivity.

A method for lowering the sodium content of different carriers which may have different physical properties as well as varying degrees of sodium is provided. The method, which lowers the sodium content from the surface, subsurface as well as the binding layer of the carrier, includes contacting a carrier with water. A rinse solution is recovered from the contacting. The rinse solution includes leached sodium from the carrier. The sodium content in the rinse solution is then determined. The contacting, recovering and determining are repeated until a steady state in the sodium content is achieved.

A method of preparing 4-methyl-3-decen-5-one. The method includes the step of oxidizing 4-methyl-3-decen-5-ol in the presence of (i) oxygen and (ii) a metal catalyst, wherein the metal catalyst contains a catalytic metal deposited on nanoparticle support.

A preparation method of perovskite catalyst, represented by the following Chemical Formula 1: La.sub.xAg.sub.(1-x)MnO.sub.3 (0.1x0.9), includes the steps of 1) preparing a metal precursor solution including a lanthanum metal precursor, a manganese metal precursor and a silver metal precursor, 2) adding maleic or citric acid to the metal precursor solution, 3) drying the mixture separately several times with sequentially elevating the temperature in the range of 160 to 210 C., and 4) calcining the dried mixture at 600 to 900 C. for 3 hours to 7 hours.

A carrier having at least three lobes, a first end, a second end, a wall between the ends and a non-uniform radius of transition at the intersection of an end and the wall is disclosed. A catalyst comprising the carrier, silver and promoters deposited on the carrier and useful for the epoxidation of olefins is also disclosed. A method for making the carrier, a method for making the catalyst and a process for epoxidation of an olefin with the catalyst are also disclosed.

Methods of preparing a second high-efficiency, rhenium-promoted silver catalyst for producing alkylene oxide from an alkylene based on a first catalyst are disclosed and described. In accordance with the disclosed methods, the first and second catalysts include at least one promoter that includes a rhenium promoter. The target catalyst concentrations of one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the second catalyst are determined based on the values of a catalyst reference property for the two catalysts and the concentration of the one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the first catalyst. Suitable catalyst reference properties include carrier specific surface area and silver specific surface area. Reaction systems utilizing the first and second catalysts are also described.

The present invention relates to a catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes, comprising silver, rhenium, cesium, lithium, tungsten and sulfur on a support. The present invention further relates to a process for producing the catalyst and the use of the catalyst for the oxidation of alkylenes to alkylene oxides. In addition, the present invention relates to a process for preparing ethylene oxide from ethylene, which comprises the oxidation of ethylene with oxygen in the presence of said catalyst.

A carrier having at least three lobes, a first end, a second end, a wall between the ends and a non-uniform radius of transition at the intersection of an end and the wall is disclosed. A catalyst comprising the carrier, silver and promoters deposited on the carrier and useful for the epoxidation of olefins is also disclosed. A method for making the carrier, a method for making the catalyst and a process for epoxidation of an olefin with the catalyst are also disclosed.

A method of preparing 4-methyl-3-decen-5-one. The method includes the step of oxidizing 4-methyl-3-decen-5-ol in the presence of (i) oxygen and (ii) a metal catalyst, wherein the metal catalyst contains a catalytic metal deposited on nanoparticle support.

Methods of preparing a second high-efficiency, rhenium-promoted silver catalyst for producing alkylene oxide from an alkylene based on a first catalyst are disclosed and described. In accordance with the disclosed methods, the first and second catalysts include at least one promoter that includes a rhenium promoter. The target catalyst concentrations of one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the second catalyst are determined based on the values of a catalyst reference property for the two catalysts and the concentration of the one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the first catalyst. Suitable catalyst reference properties include carrier specific surface area and silver specific surface area. Reaction systems utilizing the first and second catalysts are also described.