Ethylene oxide recovery

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM A GASEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING ETHYLENE OXIDE IN ADMIXTURE WITH NORMALLY GASEOUS COMPONENTS HAVING NO APPRECIABLE SOLUBILITY IN WATER BY A SEQUENCE OF STEPS COMPRISING, THE SEPARATION OF ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM SAID MIXTURE BY SELECTIVE ABSORPTION IN AN AQUEOUS ABSORBENT, STRIPPING ETHYLENE OXIDE FROM THE RESULTING FAT AQUEOUS ABSORBENT, THEREBY LEAVING A LEAN AQUEOUS ABSORBENT CONTAINING RESIDUAL AMOUNTS OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, COOLING SAID LEAN ABSORBENT, AND PASSING SAID LEAN ABSORBENT TO SAID ABSORPTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CARRYING OUT SAID STRIPPING AT A PRESSURE OF FROM ABOUT 20 TO ABOUT 80 LBS. ABSOLUTE WITHOUT CONVERTING ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ETHYLENE OXIDE TO ETHYLENE GLYCOL, MAINTAINING SAID LEAN ABSORBENT AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 125* TO ABOUT 250* C. AT A PRESSURE OF FROM ABOUT 30 TO ABOUT 250 LBS. ABSOLUTE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THEREBY CONVERTING AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID RESIDUAL ETHYLENE OXIDE TO ETHYLENE GLYCOL AND EFFECTING SAID COOLING OF SAID LEAN ABSORBENT BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ATMOSPHERE.