Low temperature catalytic oxidation of chlorinated organic compounds to recover chlorine values

Claim 2

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from chlorocarbon compounds consisting of carbon and chlorine, which process consists essentially of catalytically oxidizing a feed consisting essentially of chlorocarbon compounds by reacting the feed with at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen present in the process as molecular oxygen or molecular oxygen-containing gas at a reaction temperature of below about 500° C, in the presence of at least one transition metal-containing supported catalyst for a time sufficient to recover substantially all of the chlorine from the chlorocarbon compound feed.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein the transition metal is copper, iron, or manganese.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of 5 seconds to 100 seconds and a reaction zone pressure of about 0.5 atmospheres to 15 atmospheres absolute are maintained.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1 wherein the supported catalyst is a transition-metal exchanged zeolite.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 4 wherein the transition metal is copper, iron, or manganese.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 5 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of 5 seconds to 100 seconds and a reaction zone pressure of about 0.5 atmospheres to 15 atmospheres absolute are maintained.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 4 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of 5 seconds to 100 seconds and a reaction zone pressure of about 0.5 atmosphere to 15 atmospheres absolute are maintained.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 1 wherein the transition metal is copper, iron, or manganese.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 8 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of 5 seconds to 100 seconds and a reaction zone pressure of about 0.5 atmospheres to 15 atmospheres absolute are maintained.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1 wherein the supported catalyst is a transition-metal exchanged zeolite.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 10 wherein the transition metal is copper, iron, or manganese.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 11 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of 5 seconds to 100 seconds and a reaction zone pressure of about 0.5 atmosphere to 15 atmospheres absolute are maintained.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 10 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of 5 seconds to 100 seconds and a reaction zone pressure of about 0.5 atmospheres absolute are maintained.

Claim 15

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from chlorocarbon compounds consisting of carbon and chlorine, which process consists essentially of catalytically oxidizing a feed consisting essentially of chlorocarbon compounds of from one to twenty carbon atoms by reacting the chlorocarbon feed with at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen present in the process as molecular oxygen or molecular oxygen-containing gas at a reaction temperature of between about 300° and 500° C, in the presence of at least one copper-containing supported catalyst for a time sufficient to recover substantially all of the chlorine from the chlorocarbon compound feed.

Claim 16

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from chlorocarbon compounds consisting of carbon and chlorine, which process consists essentially of catalytically oxidizing a feed consisting essentially of chlorocarbon compounds of from one to twenty carbon atoms by reacting the chlorocarbon feed with at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen present in the process as molecular oxygen or molecular oxygen-containing gas at a reaction temperature of between about 300° and 500° C, in the presence of at least one copper-containing supported catalyst for a time sufficient to recover substantially all of the chlorine from the chlorocarbon compound feed.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 14 wherein the supported catalyst is copper-exchanged zeolite.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 14 wherein the chlorinated organic compound feed consists essentially of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene and hexachloroethane.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 16 wherein the reaction temperature is between about 300° and 500° C and a superficial reaction zone residence time of about 5 seconds to 50 seconds is maintained and wherein the supported catalyst is copper-exchanged zeolite A, X or Y.

Claim 20

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from a chlorocarbon feed mixture, which process comprises forming a chlorocarbon feed mixture consisting essentially of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene and hexachloroethane, passing the chlorocarbon feed mixture and more than a stoichiometric amount of oxygen relative to the chlorocarbons into a reactive zone containing a fluidized bed consisting essentially of at least one transition metal-containing supported catalyst in particulate fluidizable form, a catalytic amount of the catalyst being supported on a carrier having a surface area of at least about 50 m 2 /gm, and maintaining a superficial inear velocity of the chlorocarbon and oxygen or the oxygen-containing gas fed into the reaction zone above minimum fluidization velocity for the fed and a reaction zone temperature between about 300° and 500° C and a reaction zone pressure between about 0.5 atm and about 10 atm (absolute) for a superficial reaction zone residence time of between about 2 seconds and two minutes and sufficient to oxidize essentially all of the chlorocarbon feed mixture to chlorine and carbon dioxide reaction products.

Claim 21

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from a chlorocarbon feed mixture, which process comprises forming a chlorocarbon feed mixture consisting essentially of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene and hexachloroethane, passing the chlorocarbon feed mixture and more than a stoichiometric amount of oxygen relative to the chlorocarbons into a reactive zone containing a fluidized bed consisting essentially of at least one transition metal-containing supported catalyst in particulate fluidizable form, a catalytic amount of the catalyst being supported on a carrier having a surface area of at least about 50 m 2 /gm, and maintaining a superficial inear velocity of the chlorocarbon and oxygen or the oxygen-containing gas fed into the reaction zone above minimum fluidization velocity for the fed and a reaction zone temperature between about 300° and 500° C and a reaction zone pressure between about 0.5 atm and about 10 atm (absolute) for a superficial reaction zone residence time of between about 2 seconds and two minutes and sufficient to oxidize essentially all of the chlorocarbon feed mixture to chlorine and carbon dioxide reaction products.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 18 wherein the supported catalyst is copper-exchanged zeolite A, X or Y.

Claim 23

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from a chlorocarbon feed stream which process consists essentially of catalytically oxidizing a chlorocarbon feed consisting essentially of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene and hexachloroethane with at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen present in the process as molecular oxygen or molecular oxygen containing gas and in the presence of at least one transition metal supported catalyst and at a reaction time and temperature below about 500° C sufficient to oxidize essentially all of the chlorocarbon feed to reaction products consisting essentially of chlorine and carbon dioxide.

Claim 24

A catalytic oxidation process for the recovery of chlorine from a chlorocarbon feed stream which process consists essentially of catalytically oxidizing a chlorocarbon feed consisting essentially of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene and hexachloroethane with at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen present in the process as molecular oxygen or molecular oxygen containing gas and in the presence of at least one transition metal supported catalyst and at a reaction time and temperature below about 500° C sufficient to oxidize essentially all of the chlorocarbon feed to reaction products consisting essentially of chlorine and carbon dioxide.