GB857087A - Process for the manufacture of vinyl chloride - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process for the manufacture of vinyl chloride acetylene is reacted in the presence of a catalyst known to be suitable for the addition of hydrogen chloride to acetylene with a gaseous mixture consisting substantially of hydrogen chloride and chlorinated alkanes in the vapour state. Mixtures of hydrogen chloride and low boiling chloralkanes such as methyl or ethyl chloride or mixtures of tetra chlorethylene, carbon tetrachloride and hydrogen chloride obtained by chlorinating methane at high temperatures or similar mixtures obtained by simultaneously chlorinating and partially cracking ethane and propane may be employed in the process. Catalysts specified include mercury chloride or vanadate, compounds of bismuth, antimony, barium, strontium, calcium, magnesium vanadium zinc or iron such as the chlorides or mixtures thereof, e.g. mixtures of mercury chloride with alkali metal chlorides or activated carbon. Dissolved catalysts may be employed, e.g., cuprous or mercury chloride to which one or more compounds of metals of Group II-V or VII, e.g. compounds of zinc, cadmium, manganese, antimony or bismuth. An apparatus for carrying out the process is described with reference to a Figure (not shown). In examples: Vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride and some chloroform are obtained by reacting gaseous chlorine and methane, passing the reactor mixture with further methane through a reactor to eliminate traces of free chlorine and obtain a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and hydrogen chloride with some chloroform and methane and reacting such mixture with acetylene in the presence of active carbon impregnated with aqueous mercury chloride (1); and in a similar process a mixture of vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride tetrachlorethylene and hexachlorethane is obtained by heating a mixture of chlorine, propane, carbon tetrachloride and tetrachlorethylene, passing the products over heated active carbon, mixing the products with acetylene and reacting the mixture in the presence of active carbon impregnated with aqueous mercury chloride (2). The compounds of the reaction products may be obtained by fractionation. Specification 349,017 is referred to.