Process for producing 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol

A process for producing 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, which comprises reacting an 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-halogenated ethane in .gamma.-butyrolactone used as a solvent in the presence of at least one of the following reagent systems (a) to (e):

• (a) water and at least one carboxylic acid salt represented by the general formula
• RCOOM
• wherein R is an alkyl group or a hydroxyalkyl group, each of which has a carbon number of not more than 19, or phenyl group, and M is Na, K, or Mg;
• (b) water and at least one dicarboxylic acid salt represented by the general formula
• MOOCR'COOM'
• wherein R' is an alkylene group, having a carbon number of 0 to 8, or phenylene group, and M and M' are Na, K or Mg, which can be identical or different from each other;
• (c) water and at least one dicarboxylic acid salt having an ether-bonding in molecule, which is represented by the general formula
• MOOCR'OR"COOM'
• where R' and R" are alkylene groups having a summed up carbon number of not more than 10, which can be identical to or different from each other, and M and M' are Na, K or Mg, which can be identical to different from each other;
• (d) water and at least one alkaline substance consisting of NaOH, KOH, Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3, NaHCO.sub.3 and KHCO.sub.3 ;
• and
• (e) at least one hydroxycarboxylic acid salt represented by the formula
• R"'COOM
• wherein R"' is a hydroxyalkyl group having a carbon number of not more than 5, and M is Na, K or Mg, wherein the molar ratio of .gamma.-butyrolactone to the 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-halogenated ethane is 0.5 to 20, wherein further the molar ratio of any one of the carboxylic acid salt, the dicarboxylic acid salt, the dicarboxylic acid salt having an ether-bonding in molecule, the alkaline substance and the hydrocarboxylic acid salt to 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-halogenated ethane is 0.25 to 10, wherein also the molar ratio of water to 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-halogenated ethane is 0.5 to 15, and wherein the reaction temperature is 130.degree. to 250.degree. C., the 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-halogenated ethane being selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-bromoethane and 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethane, in the presence of at least the self-generated pressure corresponding to the reaction temperature.