PCT No. PCT/ES98/00078 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 16, 2000 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 16, 2000 PCT Filed Mar. 26, 1998 PCT Pub. No. WO99/48884 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 1999Epoxidation procedure for olefinic compounds with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of solvents, preferably C1-C8 alcohols, using silica supported titanium catalysts, prepared by the impregnation of the silica with solutions of titanium alkoxydes and/or titanocenes in oxygenated organic solvents.
1. Liquid phase epoxidation procedure in the liquid phase of carbon-carbon double bonds of olefinic compounds with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of solvents, at temperatures ranging between approximately 50° and 140°C, characterised in that the use of silica supported titanium catalyst, in which said catalysts are prepared by the impregnation of silicas with a specific surface ranging between 50 and 900 m<2>/g with solutions of titanium alkoxydes and/or titanocenes in oxygenated organic solvents, followed by the separation of the excess solution and of the solvent. 2. Procedure according to claim 1 characterised in that the oxygenated organic solvent is a C<1>-C<8> alcohol. 3. Procedure according to claims 1 and 2 characterised in that the catalyst is added, by means of impregnation, with alkaline or alkaline-earth metals salts in amounts ranging between approximately 0.01 and 0.1% in weight (weight of alkaline or alkaline-earth metals per 100 g of catalyst). 4. Procedure according to claims 1 through 3 characterised in that it uses hydrogen peroxide solutions in organic solvents with concentrations ranging between approximately 1 and 15% in weight. 5. Procedure according to claim 4 characterised in that it uses hydrogen peroxide solutions obtained by means of the oxidation of secondary alcohols with molecular oxygen or air. 6. Procedure according to claims 1 through 5 characterised in that the olefinic compound is an alkene or a cycloalkene. 7. Procedure according to claim 6 characterised in that the alkene is propylene. 8. Procedure according to claim 6 characterised in that the cycloalkene is cyclohexene. 9. Procedure according to claim 6 characterised in that the olefinic compound is an allylic alcohol. 10. Procedure according to claim 6 characterised in that the olefinic compound is fumaric acid or maleic acid or one of its esters, anhydrides or mixtures thereof. 11. Procedure according to claims 1 through 10 characterised in that C<6>-C<9> aromatic alcohols or C<1>-C<6> aliphatic alcohols are used in the epoxidation reaction as solvents. 12. Procedure according to claim 11 characterised in that the organic solvent is 2-methyl-2-propanol or mixtures of organic solvents containing 2-methyl-2-propanol.