Preparation of fluorine compounds

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING AN AROMATIC FLUORIDE WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING INTO A REACTION ZONE (1) A GAS-PHASE AROMATIC HALIDE STARTING MATERIAL, SAID AROMATIC HALIDE CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE AROMATICALLY BOUND HALOGEN ATOM HAVING AN ATOMIC NUMBER OF 17 TO 35, AND CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE AROMATICALLY BOUND HYDROGEN ATOM ON EACH RING, SAID AROMATIC HALIDE BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THOSE AROMATIC HALIDES IN WHICH THE AROMATIC RADICAL IS A FURTHER UNSUBSTITUTED AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, AND DERIVATIVES OF THE SAME IN WHICH NUCLEAR HYDROGEN ATOMS IN EXCESS OF ONE ON EACH AROMATIC RING ARE REPLACED BY SUBSTITUENTS SELECTED SOLELY FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, CYCLOALKYL, LOWER ALKOXY, FLUORO, CARBOXY, HYDROXY, NITRO AND SUSLFO, AND (2) A GAS-PHASE FLUORINATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NOF, NOF$3HF, NOF$6HF, AND MIXTURES THEREOF; HEATING SAID STARTING MATERIAL AND SAID FLLUORINATING AGENT IN SAID ZONE TO TEMPERATURES SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE RANGE OF 250-600*C. AND WHILE IN THE PRESENCE OF COF2 CATALYST, TO EFFECT FLUORINATION OF A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAID SSTARTING MATERIAL, AND DISCHARGING FROM SAID ZONE REACTION PRODUCTS COMPRISING AROMATIC FLUORIDE CONTAINING MORE FLUORINE THAN SAID STARTING MATERIAL.