Production of organo-tin compounds

Claim 1

IN THE PRODUCTION OF DIBUTYL TIN DICHLORIDE FROM BUTYL CHLORIDE, STANNIC CHLORIDE, AND METALLIC SODIUM, THE IMPROVED PROCESS OF MAKING SAID DICHLORIDE IN GREATER YIELD AND WITH INCREASED SAFETY WHILE AVOIDING LOSS OF SODIUM WHICH COMPRISES: ADDING THE METALLIC SODIUM IN AN EXTENDED FORM HAVING INCREASED SURFACE AREA TO A MIXTURE PREHEATED TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 100 TO ABOUT 110* C. AND COMPRISING 3 TO 4 MOLS OF BUTYL CHLORIDE AND 1 MOL OF STANNIC CHLORIDE, SAID BUTYL CHLORIDE BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC REQUIREMENT, SAID SODIUM BEING ADDED STEPWISE TO THE MIXTURE IN SUCCESSIVE QUANTITIES EACH LESS THAN THE STOICHIOMETRICAL REQUIREMENT AND AT A RATE EFFECTIVE TO AID IN MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE WITHIN SAID RANGE SO AS TO PREVENT A TOO VIOLENT REACTION, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SODIUM ADDED BEING EFFECTIVE TO CONVERT THE REACTANTS TO DIBUTYL TIN DICHLORIDE AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS. AND RECOVERING SAID DIBUTYL TIN DICHLORIDE FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE.