Recovery of chlorine from hydrogen chloride by carrier catalyst process

In a process of recovering chlorine from a stream of hydrogen chloride, the steps that include:

• (a) providing a first fluidized bed of a carrier catalyst cupric oxide in a first reaction zone within a first reactor,
• (b) supplying hydrogen chloride in a first stream to said zone for fluidizing said first bed and for exothermic reaction with cupric oxide in said bed to produce cupric chloride, water and heat, removing cupric chloride from said zone in a second stream, and removing water from said zone and removing heat from said zone,
• (c) feeding said second stream to a second reaction zone within a second reactor, and providing a second fluidized bed of cupric chloride in said second reaction zone, and
• (d) supplying oxygen in a third stream to said second zone for fluidizing said second bed and for endothermic reaction with cupric chloride in said second bed at elevated temperatures between 300.degree. and 360.degree. C. to produce cupric oxide and chlorine, removing chlorine from said second zone in a fourth stream, and removing cupric oxide from said second bed for re-use as a catalyst to produce cupric chloride, by direct recycling to the first fluidized bed of said cupric oxide removed from the second fluidized bed.