Electrochemical process for the production of organic oxides

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF OLEFIN OXIDE WHICH COMPRISES (A) PROVIDING AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL CONTAINING AN AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE MEDIUM HAVING A METAL HALIDE DISSOLVED THEREIN AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE ANODE COMPARTMENT AND AT LEAST ONE CATHODE COMPARTMENT SEPARATED BY A FLUID PREMEABLE DIAPHGRAM, SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT HAVING AN ANODE THEREIN AND SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT HAVING A CATHODE THEREIN; (B) SUBJECTING SAID AQUEOUS MEDIUM CONTAINED WITHIN THE CELL TO THE ACTION OF A DIRECT ELECTRIC CURRENT TO FORM HALOGEN IN THE ANOLYTE AND HYDROXYL ANIONS IN THE CATHOLYTE; (C) MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF AQUEOUS MEDIUM WITHIN THE CELL FROM THE ANODE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE FLUID PERMEABLE DIAPHRAGM INTO THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT; (D) INTRODUCING AN OLEFIN TO THE CELL SUCH THAT OLEFIN IS CONTACTED WITH ANOLYTE TO FORM THE CORRESPONDING HALOHYDRIN DERIVATIVE OF THE OLEFIN, THE HALOHYDRIN BEING TRANSPORTED FROM THE ANODE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE FLUID PERMEABLE DIAAQUEOUS MEDIUM WITHIN THE CELL; (E) DIHYDROHALOGENATING THE HOLOHYDRIN WITHIN THE CELL IN THE CATHOLYTE TO FORM OLEFIN OXIDE THEREIN; AND (F) WITHDRAWING EFFLUENT CONTAINING OLEFIN PRODUCT FROM THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT AND RECOVERING OLEFIN OXIDE AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS. PHRAGM INTO THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT BY THE SAID FLOW OF