BigPatents India

This invention relates to a process for the continuous recirculation of the propene which has not been reacted during the oxidation of propene containing propane as saturated hydrocarbon by means of hydroperoxide to give propene oxide, wherein said non-reacted propene is contained in the offgas stream formed during the oxidation and which contains propane, said process comprising the steps (i) to (iii): (i) separating of the propene and the propane from the off-gas stream b absorption in a hydrocarbon; y (ii) desorbtion of the propene and the propane from the hydrocarbon, wherein the mixture of propene and propane is separated off either in a liquid form in a distillation column at a pressure of from I to 3 bar or in gaseous form at a pressure of from I to 3 bar and a temperature of from 50 to 100°C by flash evaporation, (iii) recirculation of the propane obtained in step (iii) into the oxidation process wherein the propene/propane mixture is obtained after separation from the hydrocarbon is separated into propene and propane in a C3 splitter before recirculating the propene into the oxidation process.