GB1113892A - A process for the production of tetrachloroethene from organic material comprising at least a substantial proportion of propane,propene and/or derivatives of these hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Abstract

Perchloroethylene is made by subjecting a mixture of organic compounds containing a substantial proportion of propane, propylene and/or derivatives thereof to oxychlorinolysis at 370-500 DEG C. By derivatives of propane and propylene are meant those saturated and unsaturated derivatives containing 3 carbon atoms and oxygen, hydrogen and/or a halogen. Oxychlorinolysis is defined as the reaction in which chlorination and the cleavage of carbon chains occurs in the presence of molecular oxygen, an oxychlorination catalyst and chlorine and/or hydrogen chloride. If in the present process, the starting materials include highly chlorinated derivatives, the addition of chlorine and/or hydrogen chloride may not be necessary. Suitable starting mixtures are those obtained as by-products in the preparation of allylchloride and/or epichlorhydrin. Preferred catalysts are those comprising chlorides of copper supported on a carrier material having a surface area of 0.1-100 m.2/g. and optionally containing one or more chlorides of an alkali metal or rare earth metal or Sc, Y, Zr, Th or U. It is preferred to use a feed stock comprising at least 60 mol. per cent 1,2,3-trichloropropane. In the examples, some CCl4 and chlorinated ethanes are obtained as by-products.