Process for preparing bromine- and fluorine-containing halogenated hydrocarbons

Abstract

A process for brominating fluorine-containing halogenated hydrocarbons is disclosed which comprises the step of reacting at least one halogenated fluorohydrocarbon compound of formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine or a lower alkyl group which is perhalogenated by a halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine and bromine; R.sub.2 represents hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, or bromine, and; R.sub.3 represents fluorine or perfluorinated lower alkyl, in gaseous form with bromine under irradiation with light having a wavelength from about 250 nm to about 600 nm in the presence of an active amount of chlorine not exceeding about 2 moles per mole of bromine at a reaction temperature not exceeding 300.degree. C., which is sufficient for transforming the reactants into sufficiently stable gaseous compounds and for substituting the hydrogen in a compound of formula (I) by bromine to form a compound of formula (II) ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are as defined above.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.