Photochemical manufacture of 1,1,1-difluorochloroethane

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING 1,1,1-DIFLUOROCHLOROETHANE WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING, IN A REACTION ZONE HAVING A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE, A MIXTURE OF ETHYLIDENE FLUORIDE AND CHLORINE TO ACTINIC RADIATION TO FORM 1,1,1-DIFLUOROCHLOROETHANE AND GASEOUS HC1, CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATING THROUGH SAID ZONE AQUEOUS LIQUID HYDROCHLORIC ACID HAVING AN HC1 CONCENTRATION NOT LESS THAN 20%, DISPERSING SAID RECIRCULATED ACID IN SAID GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE, REGULATING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID ACID ENTERING AND THE QUANTITY OF SAID ACID PASSED THROUGH SAID ZONE SO AS TO MAINTAIN THEREIN A MAXIMUM GAS TEMPERATURE LESS THAN 450*C. BUT SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CAUSE FORMATION OF 1,1,1-DIFLUOROCHLOROETHANE AND SO AS TO MAINTAIN AQUEOUS LIQUID HYDROCHLORIC ACID DISCHARGED FROM SAID ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE APPRECIABLY LESS THAN THE BOILING POINT OF THE CONSTANT BOILING HCL-H2O SOLUTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE MAXIMUM GAS TEMPERATURE IN SAID ZONE AND IN THE LIQUID PHASE, WHEREBY FOR GIVEN OPERATING CONDITIONS SAID ACID ABSORBS SUBSTANTIALLY NO HC1 GAS FORMED BY SAID REACTION AND NO GREAT AMOUNT OF HCL-H2O VAPOR MIXTURE IS BOILED OUT OF SAID LIQUID ACID INTO THE GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE IN SAID ZONE.