Process for manufacture of fluorinated olefins

A process for the production of a fluorinated olefin comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting a feed stream comprising a fluorinated olefin and hydrogen with a first amount of catalyst to produce a hydrofluorocarbons at a first conversion rate, wherein a first exit stream comprises unreacted fluorinated olefin and hydrogen;
• (b) contacting said first exit stream with a second amount of catalyst to produce a hydrofluorocarbon, wherein said second amount of catalyst is substantially greater than said first amount of catalyst and wherein the conversion of olefin to said hydrofluorocarbon is substantially greater than said first conversion rate;
• (c) dehydrohalogenating at least a portion of said hydrocarbon from said contacting step b to produce a product stream comprising the fluorinated olefin and HF;
• and
• (d) optionally separating HF from said product stream.

A process for the production of fluorinated olefins comprising the steps of:

• (a) hydrogenating, preferably in a multistage reaction, a compound of formula (I)
• (CXnY3−n)(CR1aR2b)ZCX=CHmX2−m (I)
• under conditions effective to form at least one fluorinated alkane of formula (II)
• (CXnY3−n) (CR1aR2b)ZCHXCH2X (II)
• where:
• each X is independently Cl, F, I or Br;
• each Y is independently H, Cl, F, I or Br;
• each R1 is independently H, Cl, F, I, Br or unsubstitued or halogen substituted methyl or ethyl radical;
• each R2 is independently H, Cl, F, I, Br or unsubstitued or halogen substituted methyl or ethyl radical;
• n is 1, 2 or 3;
• a and b are each 1 or 2, provided that a+b=2;
• m is 0, 1 or 2;
• and
• Z is 0, 1, 2 or 3, and
• (b) deydrohalogenating the compound of formula (II) under conditions effective to produce a fluoroolefin with a lower degree of fluorine substitution than the compound of formula (I) to produce a compound of formula (III):
• (CXnY3−n)(CR1aR2b)XCX=CHmX2−m (III)
• where each n is the same value as in formula (I) and m is 0 or 1.