US 5,208,397 AGranted

Hydrogenolysis of halocarbon mixtures

AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company

InventorsWilliam H. Manogue, V. N. Mallikarjuna Rao

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Abstract

Mixtures of halocarbons which contain fluorine and chlorine and/or bromine (e.g. a mixture of CCl.sub.2 FCF.sub.3 with CClF.sub.2 CF.sub.3, CCl.sub.2 F.sub.2, CClF.sub.2 CClF.sub.2 or CHClF.sub.2) are contacted with hydrogen in the presence of silicon carbide and/or a metal selected from aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, nickel, iron or cobalt (or their alloys) at temperatures of 350.degree. to 700.degree. C. and pressures of 0 to 1000 psig to obtain a product mixture which substantially corresponds in terms of the distribution of fluorine substituents on carbon atoms with the mixture of halocarbon starting materials.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A process for the hydrogenolysis of a mixture of halocarbon starting materials having the formula C.sub.n H.sub.m F.sub.p X.sub.q wherein X is Cl or Br, n is an integer from 1 to 4, m is an integer from 0 to 8, p is an integer from 1 to 9 and q is an integer from 1 to 9, provided that m+p+q equals 2n+2, wherein the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms of a first halocarbon starting material in said mixture is different from the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms of a second halocarbon starting material in said mixture, comprising the step of:

contacting said mixture with at least 0.5 mole of hydrogen per mole of said halocarbon starting materials in said mixture undergoing hydrogenolysis, in a reaction vessel of aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, nickel, iron, cobalt, or their alloys or of silicon carbide, which is either empty or is packed with particles or formed shapes of aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, nickel, iron, cobalt, or their alloys or silicon carbide or low surface area carbon at a pressure within the range of from 0 psig to 1000 psig, at a temperature within the range of from 350.degree. C. to 700.degree. C. and for a time sufficient to produce a product mixture containing hydrogenolysis product of said first halocarbon starting material wherein at least one X of said first halocarbon starting material has been replaced by a hydrogen atom and the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms is the same as the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms in said first halocarbon starting material, containing hydrogenolysis product of said second halocarbon starting material wherein at least one X of said second halocarbon starting material has been replaced by a hydrogen atom and the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms is the same as the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms in said second halocarbon starting material, and having a molar ratio of said hydrogenolysis product of the first halocarbon starting material to said hydrogenolysis product of the second halocarbon starting material substantially equal to the molar ratio of said first halocarbon starting material to said second halocarbon starting material in said mixture of halocarbon starting materials.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

contacting said mixture with at least 0.5 mole of hydrogen per mole of said halocarbon starting materials in said mixture undergoing hydrogenolysis, in a reaction vessel of aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, nickel, iron, cobalt, or their alloys or of silicon carbide, which is either empty or is packed with particles or formed shapes of aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, nickel, iron, cobalt, or their alloys or silicon carbide or low surface area carbon at a pressure within the range of from 0 psig to 1000 psig, at a temperature within the range of from 350.degree. C. to 700.degree. C. and for a time sufficient to produce a product mixture containing hydrogenolysis product of said first halocarbon starting material wherein at least one X of said first halocarbon starting material has been replaced by a hydrogen atom and the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms is the same as the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms in said first halocarbon starting material, containing hydrogenolysis product of said second halocarbon starting material wherein at least one X of said second halocarbon starting material has been replaced by a hydrogen atom and the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms is the same as the distribution of fluorine substituents on the carbon atoms in said second halocarbon starting material, and having a molar ratio of said hydrogenolysis product of the first halocarbon starting material to said hydrogenolysis product of the second halocarbon starting material substantially equal to the molar ratio of said first halocarbon starting material to said second halocarbon starting material in said mixture of halocarbon starting materials.