Process for chloromethylating aromatic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR CHLOROMETHYLATING DURENE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING DURENE, FORMALDEHYDE, HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, WATER, AN ACIDIC CHLOROMETHYLATION CATALYST, AND AN INERT SOLVENT INTO A REACTION ZONE UNDER CHLOROMETHYLATION REACTION CONDITIONS WHEREIN A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 220* TO 350*F. AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 5 TO 15 ATMOSPHERES ARE MAINTAINED THEREBY FORMING A REACTION MIXTURE, CONVERTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID DURENE TO A CHLOROMETHYL DERIVATIVE OF SAID DURENE, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID REACTION MIXTURE FROM SAID REACTION ZONE INTO A PAHSE SEPARATING ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID PHASE SEPARATING ZONE UNDER SAID CHLOROMETHYLATION REACTION CONDITIONS UNTIL SAID REACTION MIXTURE SEPARATES INTO AN AQUEOUS PHASE AND AN ORGANIC PHASE, CONTINOUSLY REMOVING SAID AQUEOUS PHASE FROM SAID ORGANIC PHASE, RECOVERING SAID CHLOROMETHYL DERIVATIVE FROM SAID ORGANIC PHASE AND RECYCLING THE REMAINDER OF SAID ORGANIC PHASE TO SAID REACTION ZONE, SAID INERT SOLVENT BEING PRESENT IN SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN THE LIQUID STATE INTIL SAID AQUEOUS PHASE IS SEPARATED FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE.