Process for producing isocyanates

Process for the preparation of isocyanates or polyisocyanates by reacting the corresponding amines with phosgene, comprising the steps of

• a) feeding a first reactant stream containing the amine in gaseous or liquid form into a reactor,
• b) feeding a second reactant stream containing the phosgene in gaseous form into said reactor,
• c) mixing and reacting said first and second reactant streams in said reactor to obtain a reaction mixture,
• d) cooling said reaction mixture by indirect heat transfer or by quenching with cooled reaction product to obtain a liquid reaction product,
• e) separating said cooled reaction mixture into a liquid reaction product containing isocyanate and a gaseous reaction product,
• f) purifying said liquid reaction product to obtain liquid isocyanate, and
• h) separating said gaseous reaction product into a first gaseous product stream essentially comprising HCl and a second liquid or gaseous product stream essentially comprising phosgene,
• wherein no liquid solvent is used in steps a) to f) and h).