Catalyst and process for oxychlorination of ethylene to dichloroethane

In an oxychlorination process of the type where ethylene is converted to 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of a supported copper catalyst, the improvement comprising:

• the use of a supported catalyst prepared by (i) impregnating, within a first step, an alumina support with a first aqueous solution including copper, an additional transition metal selected from the group consisting of manganese and rhenium, an alkali metal, and an alkaline earth metal, to thereby form a first catalyst component, wherein the first aqueous solution provides the alumina support with an alkali metal concentration of greater than 0.5 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst, wherein the first aqueous solution provides the alumina support with a copper concentration of from greater than 4.0 weight percent to less than 6.5 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst;
• and (ii) impregnating, within a subsequent step, the first catalyst component with a second aqueous solution including copper, alkaline earth metal, and optionally additional alkali metal, to thereby form the supported catalyst, wherein the second aqueous solution includes an alkaline earth metal to copper molar ratio of greater than 0.19, where the concentration of any additional alkali metal within the second aqueous solution is an amount that would provide the alumina support with an additional alkali metal concentration of less than 0.3 weight percent_based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst, wherein the second aqueous solution provides the alumina support with an additional copper concentration of from greater than 4.0 weight percent to less than 6.5 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst.

An oxychlorination process comprising the step of:

• converting ethylene to 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of a supported catalyst, oxygen, and hydrogen chloride, where the supported catalyst is produced by:
• (i) impregnating, within a first step, an alumina support with a first aqueous solution including copper, an additional transition metal selected from the group consisting of manganese and rhenium, an alkali metal, and an alkaline earth metal, to thereby form a first catalyst component, wherein the first aqueous solution provides the first catalyst component with an alkali metal concentration of greater than 0.5 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst, wherein the first aqueous solution provides the alumina support with a copper concentration of from greater than 4.0 weight percent to less than 6.5 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst;
• and
• (ii) impregnating, within a subsequent step, the first catalyst component with a second aqueous solution including copper, alkaline earth metal, and optionally additional alkali metal, to thereby form the supported catalyst, wherein the second aqueous solution includes an alkaline earth metal to copper molar ratio of greater than 0.19, wherein the concentration of any additional alkali metal within the second aqueous solution is an amount that would provide the alumina support with an additional alkali metal concentration of less than 0.3 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst, wherein the second aqueous solution provides the alumina support with an additional copper concentration of from greater than 4.0 weight percent to less than 6.5 weight percent based upon the entire weight of the supported catalyst.