Process for the reduction of RfC≡CX impurities in fluoroolefins

A process for making at least one hydrotetrafluoropropene product selected from the group consisting of CF3CF═CH2, CF3CH═CHF, and mixtures thereof, comprising:

• (a) dehydrohalogenating at least one starting material selected from the group consisting of CF3CFClCH3, CF3CHFCH2Cl, CF3CHClCH2F, CF3CH2CHFCl, CF3CHFCH2F, CF3CH2CF2H, CF3CF2CH3, and mixtures thereof to produce a product mixture comprising CF3C≡CH impurity and said at least one hydrotetrafluoropropene product;
• (b) contacting said product mixture with at least one zeolite to reduce the concentration of said CF3C≡CH impurity in said product mixture;
• and
• (c) recovering said at least one hydrotetrafluoropropene product having reduced concentration of said CF3C≡CH impurity;
• wherein said at least one zeolite is selected from the group consisting of zeolites having pore opening of at least 4 Angstroms and no more than about 5 Angstroms, zeolites having pore opening of at least about 5 Angstroms and Sanderson electronegativity of no more than about 2.6, and mixtures thereof;
• provided that said at least one zeolite is not zeolite 4A.

A process for making at least one hydrochlorotrifluoropropene product selected from the group consisting of CF3CCl═CH2, CF3CH═CHCl, and mixtures thereof, comprising:

• (a) dehydrohalogenating at least one starting material selected from the group consisting of CF3CCl2CH3, CF3CHClCH2Cl, CF3CHClCH2F, CF3CH2CHCl2, CF3CHFCH2Cl, CF3CFClCH3, CF3CH2CHFCl, and mixtures thereof to produce a product mixture comprising CF3C≡CH impurity and said at least one hydrochlorotrifluoropropene product;
• (b) contacting said product mixture with at least one zeolite to reduce the concentration of said CF3C≡CH impurity in said product mixture;
• and
• (c) recovering said at least one hydrochlorotrifluoropropene product having reduced concentration of said CF3C≡CH impurity;
• wherein said at least one zeolite is selected from the group consisting of zeolites having pore opening of at least 4 Angstroms and no more than about 5 Angstroms, zeolites having pore opening of at least about 5 Angstroms and Sanderson electronegativity of no more than about 2.6, and mixtures thereof;
• provided that said at least one zeolite is not zeolite 4A.

A process for preparing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene comprising:

• (i) providing a starting composition including a compound of Formulae I, II, or III:
• CX2═CCl—CH2X (I);
• CX3—CCl═CH2 (II);
• or
• CX3—CHCl—CH2X (III)
• wherein X is independently selected from F, Cl, Br, and I, provided that at least one X is not fluorine;
• (ii) contacting the starting composition with a first fluorinating agent to produce a first intermediate composition including 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene and a first chlorine-containing byproduct;
• (iii) contacting the first intermediate composition with a second fluorinating agent to produce a second intermediate composition including 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropane and 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene;
• (iv) dehydrochlorinating at least a portion of the second intermediate composition including 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropane to produce a reaction product including 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and CF3C≡CH impurity;
• (v) contacting said reaction product produced in step (iv) with at least one zeolite to reduce the concentration of said CF3C≡CH impurity in said product mixture, wherein said at least one zeolite is selected from the group consisting of zeolites having pore opening of at least 4 Angstroms and no more than about 5 Angstroms, zeolites having pore opening of at least about 5 Angstroms and Sanderson electronegativity of no more than about 2.6, and mixtures thereof;
• provided that said at least one zeolite is not zeolite 4A;
• and
• (vi) recovering said 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene from said product mixture of step (v), said 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene having reduced concentration of said CF3C≡CH impurity present relative to that amount originally present in said reaction product of step (iv).