US Patent 11180467 Propene recovery by scrubbing with a solvent/water mixture

The invention relates to a process for preparing propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a stream comprising propene, propane, hydrogen peroxide or a source of hydrogen peroxide, water, and an organic solvent; (ii) passing the liquid feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation zone comprising an epoxidation catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite, and subjecting the liquid feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation zone, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propene, propane, propylene oxide, water, and the organic solvent; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation zone, the effluent stream comprising propene, propane, propylene oxide, water, and the organic solvent; (iv) separating propene and propane from the effluent stream by distillation, comprising subjecting the effluent stream to distillation conditions in a distillation unit, obtaining a gaseous stream (S1) which is enriched in propene and propane compared to the effluent stream subjected to distillation conditions, and a liquid bottoms stream (S2) which is enriched in propylene oxide, water and organic solvent compared to the effluent stream subjected to distillation conditions; (v) separating propane from the stream (S1) in a separation zone, comprising subjecting the stream (S1) to washing conditions in a scrubber, wherein a solvent mixture comprising organic solvent and water is added as entraining agent, obtaining a bottoms stream (S3), which comprises organic solvent, water and at least 70 weight-% of the propene comprised in (S1); and a gaseous top stream (S4), which comprises at least 5 weight-% of the propane comprised in stream (S1).