Abstract Ethylene is selectively oxychlorinated to ethylene dichloride by the process of contacting ethylene, hydrogen chloride and molecular oxygen in the vapor phase at a temperature of from about 450*F to about 670*F in the presence of a fixed-bed, supported cupric chloride catalyst. Ethylene is introduced into the inlet portion of the reaction zone in a sufficient stoichiometric excess and hydrogen chloride and molecular oxygen are added to the reaction zone in a sufficient plurality of points throughout the reaction zone to maintain the hydrogen chloride: ethylene molar ratio below about 0.7 and the oxygen: ethylene molar ratio below about 0.12 in the reaction mass during passage through the reaction zone.
A PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE BY CONTACTING ETHYLENE HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN THE VAPOR PHASE IN A REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 450*F TO ABOUT 670*F IN THE PRESENCE OF A FIXED-BED SUPPORTED CUPRIC CHLORIDE CATLYST INTRODICING ALL OR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ETHYLENE TO THE UPSTREAM INLET PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE IN A SUFFICIENT STOICHIOMETRIC EXCESS AND ADDING HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND MOLECULAR OXYGEN AND THE REMAINDER OF THE ETHYLENE IN CASES WHERE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ETHYLENE IS ADDED AT SAID UPSTREAM INLET TO THE REACTION ZONE AT A SUFFICIENT PLURALITY OF POINT THROUGHTOUT THE REACTION ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE HYDROGEN CHLORIDE ETHYLENE MOLAR RATIO BELOW ABOUT 0.7 AND THE OXYGEN ETHYLENE MOLAR RATIO BELOW ABOUT 0.12 IN THE REACTION MASS DURING PASSAGE THROUGH THE REACTION ZONE AND SEPARATING THE RESULTING ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE CONTAINING REACTION ZONE EFFLUENT INTO AT LEAST ONE ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE CONTAINING LIQUID PHASE AND AN ORGANIC VAPOR PHASE OF AT LEAST 55% ETHYLENE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE BY CONTACTING ETHYLENE HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN THE VAPOR PHASE IN A REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 450*F TO ABOUT 670*F IN THE PRESENCE OF A FIXED-BED SUPPORTED CUPRIC CHLORIDE CATLYST INTRODICING ALL OR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ETHYLENE TO THE UPSTREAM INLET PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE IN A SUFFICIENT STOICHIOMETRIC EXCESS AND ADDING HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND MOLECULAR OXYGEN AND THE REMAINDER OF THE ETHYLENE IN CASES WHERE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ETHYLENE IS ADDED AT SAID UPSTREAM INLET TO THE REACTION ZONE AT A SUFFICIENT PLURALITY OF POINT THROUGHTOUT THE REACTION ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE HYDROGEN CHLORIDE ETHYLENE MOLAR RATIO BELOW ABOUT 0.7 AND THE OXYGEN ETHYLENE MOLAR RATIO BELOW ABOUT 0.12 IN THE REACTION MASS DURING PASSAGE THROUGH THE REACTION ZONE AND SEPARATING THE RESULTING ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE CONTAINING REACTION ZONE EFFLUENT INTO AT LEAST ONE ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE CONTAINING LIQUID PHASE AND AN ORGANIC VAPOR PHASE OF AT LEAST 55% ETHYLENE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the organic vapor phase of at least 55%v ethylene is recycled to the inlet portion of the reaction zone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction zone is maintained at a temperature of from about 450*F to about 600*F.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the cupric chloride content of the supported cupric chloride catalyst composition ranges from 1 to 20% by weight calculated as copper metal to the total quantity of metal plus carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
97 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the reaction zone is two or more searially arranged reactor sections of similar size wherein all or substantially all of the reactant ethylene is introduced into the reaction zone at the inlet end of the first reaction section and the reactant hydrogen chloride and molecular oxygen are added at the inlet ends of the first section and along with the remainder of the ethylene in cases where substantially all of the ethylene is added at the inlet end of the first reaction section to one or more of the remaining sections.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 5 wherein three reactor sections are employed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
89 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the total reaction requirements of hydrogen chloride is split between the three reactor sections such that 30-60% of the total hydrogen chloride is added to each of the first and second reactor sections and 0-30% is added to the last reactor section and the total reaction requirements of molecular oxygen is split between the three reactor sections such that 30-45% of the total molecular oxygen is added to the first and second reactor sections and 10-40% is added to the last reactor section.