Monohalogenation of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING MONOHALIDES OF HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A LIQUID HYDROCARBON DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A REACTION ZONE, CONTACTING IN SAID REACTION ZONE SAID HYDROCARBON WITH A GASEOUS HALOGEN IN A COUNTERCURRENT MANNER, MAINTAINING IN SAID REACTION ZONE A HIGH LIQUID HOLDUP, RECOVERING HYDROGEN HALIDE GAS OVERHEAD, PASSING THE RESULTING LIQUID HYDROCARBON HALIDE REACTION MIXTURE FROM SAID REACTION ZONE INTO A FRACTIONATION ZONE, MAINTAINING THE LIQUID HOLDUP IN SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE BELOW THAT OF THE LIQUID HOLDUP IN SAID REACTION ZONE, FRACTIONATING THE LIQUID HYDROCARBON HALIDE PRODUCT TO SUBSTANTIALLY FREE SAID PRODUCT OF UNREACTED HYDROCARBON, PASSING SAID VAPOROUS UNREACTED HYDROCARBON INTO SAID REACTION ZONE, CONDENSING SAID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON IN SAID REACTION ZONE AND RECONTACTING IT WITH ADDITIONAL GASEOUS HALOGEN FEED, WITHDRAWING HYDROCARBON HALIDE PRODUCT FROM A LOWER PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE.