Fluorination process

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF COMPLETELY FLUORINATING A HYDROCARBON, WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING A FLUID SUSPENSION OF FINELY DIVIDED COBALT TRIFLUORIDE IN A CLOSED REACTION ZONE, CIRCULATING A PORTION OF SAID SUSPENSION FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION ZONE TO A POINT WHERE IT IS MINGLED WITH INCOMING HYDROCARBON VAPORS, CARRYING THE MIXTURE OF SAID HYDROCARBON VAPORS AND SAID COBALT TRIFLUORIDE SUSPENSION UP THROUGH A TEMPERATURE REGULATING ZONE AND BACK INTO SAID CLOSED REACTION ZONE, REACTING SAID HYDROCARBON VAPOR WITH SAID COBALT TRIFLUORIDE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO SUBSTITUTE FLUORINE ATOMS FOR THE HYDROGEN ATOMS OF SAID HYDROCARBON, SEPARATING THE GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCTS FROM ENTRAINED COBALT FLUORIDE, CONDENSING THE HIGHER BOILING GASEOUS REACTION PRODUCTS, SEPARATING UNCONDENSED CARBON TETRAFLUORIDE THEREFROM, UTILIZING THE SEPARATED CARBON TETRAFLUORIDE AS A DILUENT FOR INCOMING HYDROCARBON VAPORS, FRACTIONATING THE CONDENSED HIGHER BOILING REACTION PRODUCTS TO BOIL OFF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE, UTILIZING THE BOILED OFF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AS A DILUENT FOR INCOMING HYDROCARBON VAPORS, CAUSING THE LIQUID REACTION PRODUCTS FROM WHICH HYDROGEN FLUORIDE HAS BEEN BOILED OFF TO SETTLE UNTIL TWO LAYERS ARE FORMED, AND RETURNING THE UPPER LAYER OF INCOMPLETELY FLUORINATED MATERIALS FOR FURTHER REACTION WITH COBALT TRIFLUORIDE.