Hydrogen chloride oxidation

Claim 1

IN A CATALYST PROCESS WHEREIN CHLORINE IS PRODUCED BY CONTACTING AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE WITH A CATALYST COMPRISING A CHLORIDE OF A METAL OF VARIABLE VALENCE AT HYDROGEN CHLORIDE OXIDIZING CONDITIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROCARBON CHLORINE ACCEPTOR IN A REACTION ZONE, THEREBY CHLORINATING SAID HYDROCARBON WITH SAID CHLORINE AND FORMING REACTION PRODUCTS COMPRISING THE RESULTING CHLORO-HYDROCARBON, WATER, CHLORINE AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE PASSING SAID REACTION PRODUCTS IN ADMIXTURE WITH CATALYST FROM SAID REACTION ZONE INTO A QUENCHING ZONE, BRINGING SAID CATALYST-CONTAINING REACTION PRODUCTS INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH LIQUID AQUEOUS HYDROGEN CHLORIDE IN SAID QUENCHING ZONE, THEREBY FORMING A CATALYSTCONTAINING LIQUID PHASE COMPRISING AQUEOUS HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND A GASEOUS PHASE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CATALYST COMPRISING SAID CHLORO-HYDROCARBON, WATER, CHLORINE AND HYDROCARBON CHLORIDE IN SAID QUENCHING ZONE, AND PASSING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID CATALYST-CONTAINING LIQUID PHASE FROM SAID QUENCHING ZONE INTO SAID REACTION ZONE.