Method of producing chloroprene

Abstract

In production of chloroprene by dehydrochlorinating 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 in the presence of an aqueous solution of alkali, the mixture of 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 and the aqueous solution of alkali is heated at 85.degree. to 100.degree. C to evaporate a mixture consisting mainly of the resulting chloroprene, unreacted 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 and water rapidly, the evaporated mixture is taken out from the reaction system without subjecting to a distillation and totally condensed, the condensed reaction mixture is separated into an aqueous phase and an organic phase and then the organic phase is fractionally distilled to separate chloroprene from 3,4-dichlorobutene-1. Prior to subjecting the organic phase to the fractional distillation, if the organic phase is previously subjected to a drying means and the water content in the organic phase is reduced to a proper degree, it is possible to avoid formation of polymer of the resulting chloroprene and corrosion of the distillation column.

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