Oxychlorination catalyst, preparation

Oxychlorination catalysts are prepared by impregnation methods, though the solutions are very corrosive and special attention must be paid to the materials of constmction. Potassium chloride is used as a catalyst component to increase catalyst life by reducing losses of copper chloride by volatilisation. The catalysts used in fixed-bed reactors are typically 5 mm diameter rings or spheres, whereas a 20—100 micrometer powder is used in fluid-bed operations. 

Hexachloroethane is formed in minor amounts in many industrial chlorination processes designed to produce lower chlorinated hydrocarbons, usually via a sequential chlorination step. Chlorination of tetrachloroethylene, in the presence of ferric chloride, at 100—140°C is one convenient method of preparing hexachloroethane (142). Oxychlorination of tetrachloroethylene, using a copper chloride catalyst (143) has also been used. Photochemical chlorination of tetrachloroethylene under pressure and below 60°C has been studied (144) and patented as a method of producing hexachloroethane (145), as has recovery of hexachloroethane from a mixture of other perchlorinated hydrocarbon derivatives via crystalH2ation in carbon tetrachloride. Chlorination of hexachlorobutadiene has also been used to produce hexachloroethane (146). 

Oxychlorination-. In this method [147], ethylene and chlorine are reacted to form dichloro-ethane, and vinyl chloride monomer is prepared by thermal decomposition of dichloroethane in the presence of an appropriate catalyst hydrogen chloride is liberated as a by-product in this reaction. Hydrogen chloride is reacted with ethylene and oxygen to form dichloroethane. 

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