Process for preparing ethylene dichloride

Claim 1

A process for the production of ethylene dichloride in a circulating liquid medium, said liquid medium comprising a liquid selected from chlorinated hydrocarbons containing two carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, said circulating liquid medium being circulated through a reaction zone maintained at a temperature below that at which the liquid medium vaporizes at the pressure maintained therein and at a level of from about 85° C. to about 180° C. and a vaporization zone maintained at a pressure lower than that of the reaction zone and at a temperature such that liquid ethylene dichloride vaporizes under the conditions of pressure and temperature therein, said vaporization zone being disposed above said reaction zone to produce a static pressure on the below-disposed said reaction zone, said process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing ethylene and chlorine into said reaction zone; (b) forming crude liquid ethylene dichloride within said reaction zone by the reaction of said ethylene and chlorine; (c) passing said crude liquid ethylene dichloride with said circulating liquid medium from said reaction zone into said vaporization zone; (d) vaporizing at least a portion of said crude liquid ethylene dichloride in said vaporization zone by means of the heat of reaction between ethylene and chlorine in said reaction zone to form vaporized impure ethylene dichloride while effecting cooling of said circulating liquid medium; and (e) passing said vaporized impure ethylene dichloride to a rectification zone, rectifying said vaporized ethylene dichloride by means of the heat of reaction of ethylene and chlorine generated within said reaction zone, and recovering purified ethylene dichloride from said rectification zone while simultaneously returning said cooled circulating liquid medium from said vaporization zone to said reaction zone.