Process for the manufacture of perfluoralkyl iodides

A process for the manufacture of fluoralkyliodides of higher molecular weight from the corresponding perfluoralkyliodides of lower molecular weight, which comprises telomerizing

• a. a perfluoralkyliodide selected from the group consisting of a branched perfluoralkyl mono- or di-iodide containing 1 to 10 carbon atoms and a linear perfluoralkyl mono- or di-iodide containing 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
• b. a member selected from the group consisting of tetrafluorethylene, hexafluorpropylene, trifluorethylene, trifluorochlorethylene and pentafluorchloropropylene, and
• c. a member selected from the group consisting of N-ethylethanalamine aminoethylisopropanolamine, diethylethanolamine, N-(2, hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediamine, isopropanolamine, tri-isopropanolamine, N-ethylethanalamine, N-methylethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoethanolamine, N-hydroxy-ethylmorpholine, morpholine, N-hydroxyethylpiperazine, 3-diethyl-aminophenol, glycine and diethylamine, in the presence of
• d. a metal salt wherein said salt is a halide, phosphate, carbonate, nitrate, sulphate, cyanide, hydride or ethylate, of a metal of groups IIIa, IIIb to VIb and VIII of the 4th to 6th period or of groups Ia or IIa of the Periodic Table as the catalyst,
• at 0.degree. to 350.degree. C and under a pressure from 0 to 200 atmospheres (gauge).