Oxychlorination of ethylene with fluid bed catalyst

A process for the oxychlorination of ethylene to produce a product in which at least 15 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed into 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, in which less than 5 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed into combustion products and in which less than 3 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed to unsaturated C.sub.2 chlorinated compounds, comprising passing a gaseous feed mixture of ethylene, hydrogen chloride and air through a reaction zone maintained at a temperature within the range of 280.degree. to 370.degree. C and containing a fluid bed catalyst comprising an oxychlorination catalyst deposited on a carrier consisting essentially of silica and magnesia having a surface area within the range of 10 to 200 m.sup.2 /g, wherein the feed mixture contains the reactants in a mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 within the range of above 0.9 to 1.5, a mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 within the range of 1.40 to 3.0 and a mole ratio of HCl/C.sub.2 H.sub.4 within the range of 2.20 to 3.65 and the lower limit of the mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 is correlated with the mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 to provide a maximum combustion rate in accordance with the following:

• ______________________________________ Maximum Combustion Rate (Mole %) 5 4 3 2 ______________________________________ O.sub.2 /C.sub. 2 H.sub.4 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 2.20 2.27 2.38 2.58 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.85 1.91 2.02 2.20 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.55 1.60 1.69 1.86 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.25 1.29 1.37 1.52 ______________________________________ and the upper limit of the mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 is correlated with the mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 to provide an HCl conversion rate in accordance with the following:
• ______________________________________ Conversion Rate of HCl (Mole %) 80 90 92 94 96 ______________________________________ O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 3.34 2.90 2.81 2.72 2.64 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.95 2.56 2.48 2.40 2.32 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.69 2.36 2.28 2.22 2.15 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.43 2.15 2.09 2.04 1.98 ______________________________________

A process for the oxychlorination of ethylene to produce a product in which at least 15 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed into 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, in which less than 5 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed into combustion products and in which less than 3 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed to unsaturated C.sub.2 chlorinated compounds, comprising passing a gaseous feed mixture of ethylene, hydrogen chloride and air through a reaction zone maintained at a temperature within the range of 280.degree. to 370.degree. C and containing a fluid bed catalyst comprising a copper containing catalyst deposited on a carrier selected from the group consisting of attapulgite clay having a surface area within the range of 10 to 160 m.sup.2 /g and a synthetic mixture of silica and magnesia having a surface area within the range of 40 to 200 m.sup.2 /g, wherein the feed mixture contains the reactants in a mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 within the range of above 0.9 to 1.5, a mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 within the range of 1.40 to 3.0 and a mole ratio of HCl/C.sub.2 H.sub.4 within the range of 2.20 to 3.65 and the lower limit of the mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 is correlated with the mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 to provide a maximum combustion rate in accordance with the following:

• ______________________________________ Maximum Combustion Rate (Mole %) 5 4 3 2 ______________________________________ O.sub.2 /C.sub. 2 H.sub.4 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 2.20 2.27 2.38 2.58 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.85 1.91 2.02 2.20 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.55 1.60 1.69 1.86 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.25 1.29 1.37 1.52 ______________________________________
• and the upper limit of the mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 is correlated with the mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 to provide an HCl conversion rate in accordance with the following:
• ______________________________________ Conversion Rate of HCl (Mole %) 80 90 92 94 96 ______________________________________ O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 3.34 2.90 2.81 2.72 2.64 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.95 2.56 2.48 2.40 2.32 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.69 2.36 2.28 2.22 2.15 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.43 2.15 2.09 2.04 1.98 ______________________________________

A process for the oxychlorination of ethylene to produce a product in which at least 15 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed into 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, in which less than 5 mole of the ethylene is transformed into combustion products and in which less than 3 mole percent of the ethylene is transformed to unsaturated C.sub.2 chlorinated compounds, comprising passing a gaseous feed mixture of ethylene, hydrogen chloride and air through a reaction zone maintained at a temperature within the range of 280.degree. to 370.degree. C and containing a fluid bed catalyst comprising a copper-containing catalyst deposited on a carrier consisting essentially of silica and magnesia having a surface area within the range of 10 to 200 m.sup.2 /g, wherein the feed mixture contains the reactants in a mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 within the range of above 0.9 to 1.5, a mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 within the range of 1.40 to 3.0 and a mole ratio of HCl/C.sub.2 H.sub.4 within the range of 2.20 to 3.65 and the lower limit of the mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 is correlated with the mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 to provide a maximum combustion rate in accordance with the following:

• ______________________________________ Maximum Combustion Rate (Mole %) 5 4 3 2 ______________________________________ O.sub.2 /C.sub. 2 H.sub.4 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 2.20 2.27 2.38 2.58 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.85 1.91 2.02 2.20 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.55 1.60 1.69 1.86 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCl/O.sub.2 .gtoreq. 1.25 1.29 1.37 1.52 ______________________________________
• and the upper limit of the mole ratio of HCl/O.sub.2 is correlated with the mole ratio of O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 to provide an HCl conversion rate in accordance with the following:
• ______________________________________ Conversion Rate of HCl (Mole %) 80 90 92 94 96 ______________________________________ O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 3.34 2.90 2.81 2.72 2.64 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.95 2.56 2.48 2.40 2.32 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.69 2.36 2.28 2.22 2.15 O.sub.2 /C.sub.2 H.sub.4 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 HCl/O.sub.2 .ltoreq. 2.43 2.15 2.09 2.04 1.98 ______________________________________