Manufacture of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR CHLORINATING BENZENE, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A FINELY DIVIDED COPPER HYDROXIDE-ALUMINA CATALYST HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE IN THE RANGE OF 40 TO 200 MESH INTO A REACTION ZONE WHILE MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE OF ABOUT 190* C. TO ABOUT 210*C., SUSPENDING SAID CATALYST PARTICLES IN A STREAM OF BENZENE VAPOR, HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND AIR TO FORM A RELATIVELY DENSE FLUIDIZED MASS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A PORTION OF SAID CATALYST PARTICLES FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, AND REMOVING THE TARRY SURFACE CONTAMINATES FORMED THEREON IN THE REACTION ZONE BY SUSPENDING SAID CATALYST PARTICLES IN A STREAM OF A GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STREAM, OXYGEN, AND AIR AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 350*C. TO 500*C., AND PASSING SAID CLEAN SURFACED REGENERATED CATALYST PARTICLES TO THE REACTION ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING REACTION EFFLUENT FROM SAID REACTION ZONE AND RECOVERING CHLOROBENZENE FROM SAID REACTION EFFLUENT.