GB998689A - Production of vinyl chloride - Google Patents

Abstract

Vinyl chloride is made by contacting at a temperature from 470-600 DEG C. ethane, oxygen containing gas and a chlorinating agent which is chlorine and/or hydrogen chloride in a bed of oxychlorination metal halide catalyst particles to produce a gaseous product containing vinyl chloride, ethylene and chlorinated derivatives of ethane, separating the vinyl chloride from the gaseous product and introducing the ethylene and chlorinated derivatives of ethane into the bed of catalyst particles. The ethylene and chlorinated derivatives of ethane are preferably introduced into the bed of catalyst particles while regulating the quantity of ethane and chlorinating agent fed to the bed to compensate for the chlorinated derivatives of ethane and ethylene. The gaseous product containing unsaturated hydrocarbons saturated hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon chlorides, is passed to a condensation step operated at a temperature sufficient to condense substantially all hydrocarbon chlorides in the gaseous product, the uncondensed hydrocarbons are fed to the bed of catalyst particles, and the vinyl chloride is separated from the other hydrocarbon chlorides and the said other hydrocarbon chlorides which boil below the boiling point of 1,1,2-trichloroethane are introduced into the bed of catalyst particles. The uncondensed hydrocarbons from the condensation step may contain acid values and carbon dioxide which are removed by scrubbing before being fed to the bed of catalyst particles. The particularly preferred type of catalyst consists of copper chloride and potassium chloride on particles of a porous carrier, and the particularly preferred form of catalyst bed is a fluidized bed. The invention is described with reference to a flow sheet (not shown) which represents a fully integrated system including several recycle streams. Reference is made in the description to Specification 934,329.