Process for making oxirane compounds from olefins and aldehyde monoperacylates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MAKING OXIRANE COMPOUNDS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF REACTING A SATURATED MONOALDEHYDE OF FROM 2 TO THREE CARBON ATOMS WITH OXYGEN AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 15*C. TO FORM THE ALDEHYDE MONOPERACYLATE CORRESPONDING THERETO AND THEREAFTER REACTING THE ALDEHYDE MONOPERACYLATE WITH AN ORGANIC COMPOUND CONTAINING AT LEAST THREE CARBON ATOMS AND AT LEAST ONE ETHYLENIC GROUP, >C=C<, IN THE LIQUID PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 25*C. TO ABOUT 200*C.; SAID ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED ORGANIC COMPOUND BEING OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS, HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS, ALCOHOLS, ETHERS, ALDEHYDES, KETONES, ACETALS, KETALS, ACIDS, ESTERS, AMIDES, IMIDES, NITRILES AND PHOSPHORIC ESTERS AND SAID ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED COMPOUDS BEING FREE OF ELEMENTS OTHER THAN CARBON, HYDROGEN, OXYGEN, NITROGEN EXCEPT IN THE FORM OF AMIDO, IMIDO AND CYANO GROUPS, PHOSPHORUS EXCEPT IN THE FORM OF PHOSPHORIC ESTERS, AND HALOGENS; AND WHEREIN THE ATOMS JOINED TO THE ETHYLENE GROUP, >C=C<, TO BE EPOXIDIZED ARE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND ONLY SUCH CARBON ATOMS AS HAVE NOT MORE THAN ONE BOND THEREOF IN LINKAGE TO ELEMENTS OTHER THAN CARBON OR HYDROGEN.