A process for the epoxidation of
ethylene, the process comprising: contacting an inlet feed gas comprising
ethylene,
oxygen and one or more reaction modifiers consisting of organic chlorides with an epoxidation catalyst comprising a support and having silver,
rhenium promoters and one or more
alkali metal promoters deposited on the support; wherein the inlet feed gas has a total catalyst chloriding effectiveness value (Cleff) represented by formula (I): wherein [MC], [EC], [EDC] and [VC] are the concentrations in ppmv of
chloromethane (MC),
chloroethane (EC),
dichloroethane (EDC) and chloroethylene (VC), respectively, and [CH4], [C2H6] and [C2H4] are the concentrations in mole percent of
methane, ethane and
ethylene, respectively, in the inlet feed gas; wherein the process is operated at a
reaction temperature having a value T1 and with the inlet feed gas having an optimal total catalyst chloriding effectiveness value Cl 3
efficacy value Cl eff1 1, to produce
ethylene oxide, wherein the
ethylene oxide production parameter is a value EO1; and characterized in that the support is a
fluoride mineralized alpha-
alumina support, and subsequently operating the process so that at a cumulative
ethylene oxide production cumEO x , wherein cumEO x is at least 0.6 kton ethylene
oxide / m 3 of catalyst greater than cumEO1, the
reaction temperature 5 has an increased value Tx to maintain the ethylene
oxide production parameter at a value EO1, while controlling the optimal total catalyst chloriding effectiveness value Cl effx of the inlet feed gas so that the ratio Cl effx / C leff1 is in the range of 0.8 to 1.2.