Improved process for the liquid phase chlorination of C{HD 8{B {14 C{HD 16 {B paraffin hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CHLORINATED PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING CHLORINATING AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 80* TO 120*C, A PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON MIXTURE WHICH IS A LIQUID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE CONTAINING ON THE AVERAGE EIGHT TO 16 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE AND CONSISTING MAINLY OF SATURATED STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS WHILE IN THE LIQUID STATE AND PRESENT IN A REACTION ZONE WHEREIN A GASEOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING A MINOR PROPORTIONS OF PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON VAPOR AND GASEOUS CHLORINE EXISTS IN CONTACTT WITH SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON DURING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CHLORINATION REACTION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING PROVIDING IN SAID REACTION ZONE ABOUT 2 TO 20 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED UPON THE WEIGHPT OF SAID PARAFFIN HYYDROCARBON MIXTTURE OF AN ADDITIVE SELECTTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, CHLOROFORM, ETHYLENE, DICHLORIDE, 1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE, AND PERCHLOROETHANE, WITH SAID ADDITIVE BEING UNDER REFLUX DURING SAID CHLORINATION REACTION AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY VOLATILIZED AND PRESENT IN SAID GASEOUS MIXTUURE IN CONTACT WITH SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON WHERE IT SERVES TO ELIMINATE AN UNDESIRABLE REACTION BETWEEN SAID PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON VAPOR AND SAID GASEOUS CHLORINE THEREBY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE RESULTING CHLORINATED PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON PRODUCT, AND WITH NO SOLVENT FOR SAID HYDROCARBON MIXTURE BEING PRESENT IN SAID REACTION ZONE OTHER THAN SAID MINOR CONCENTRATION OF SAID ADDITIVE WHICH PRIMARILY SERVES A ROLE OTHER THAN THAT OF S SOLVENT.