Epoxidation process

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR REACTING AN ETHYLENIC COMPOUND WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE UNDER THE CATALYTIC INFLUENCE A MEMEBR OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TUNGSTIC ACID HETEROPOLYTUNGSTIC ACID AND SALTS OF SAID ACIDS AT ABOUT 0* TO ABOUT 80* C. USING ABOUT 1/4 TO ABOUT 1 MOLE OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE PER MOLE ETHYLENIC UNSATURATION TO BE EPOXIDIZED AND NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 75 MOLES OF WATER PER MOLE OF ETHYLENIC COMPOUND, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID REACTANTS IN THE LIQUID PHASE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST DEPOSITED ON A SOLID INORGANIC ADSORBENT CARRIER HAVING A POROSITY GREATER THAN 30% ON A VOID-FREE BASIS, AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER OF 20 TO ABOUT 200 ANGSTROM UNITS, AND A SURFACE AREA OF AT LEAST TEN SQUARE METERS PER GRAM, THEREAFTER CONTACTING THE REACTION MIXTURE WITH SAID SOLID ADSORBENT CARRIER WHEREBY TUNGSTIC ACID IN SOLUTION IS ADSORBED THEREON, AND PERIODICALLY REVERSING THE FLOW OF REACTION MIXTURE THROUGH SAID CARRIER WHEREBY THE THUS ADSORBED TUNGSTIC ACID ON SAID CARRIER AS AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CATALYST FOR SAID REACTION.