1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane manufacturing process

A process for the manufacture of CF3CHFCF3 containing less than 0.01 ppm (CF3)2C═CF2, comprising:

• (1) activating an unsupported chrome oxide prepared by pyrolyzing (NH4)2Cr2O7 with nitrogen;
• (2) treating the activated chrome oxide of (1) with a mixture of nitrogen and HF;
• (3) contacting CF2═CFCF3 in the vapor phase at a temperature of less than about 260° C. with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of said chrome oxide catalyst of (2) to produce a product containing less than 10 parts (CF3)2C═CF2 per million parts of CF3CHFCF3;
• and
• (4) treating the product of (3) as necessary to remove excess perfluoroisobutylene.

A process for the manufacture of CF3CHFCF3 containing less than 0.01 ppm (CF3)2C═CF2, comprising:

• (A) hydrodechlorination CF3CClFCF3 to produce CF2═CFCF3;
• (B) contacting said CF2═CFCF3 in the vapor phase at a temperature of less than about 260° C. with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of a fluorination catalyst selected from the group consisting of (i) an activated carbon treated to contain from about 0.1 to about 10 weight % added alkali or alkaline earth metals, (ii) three dimensional matrix porous carbonaceous materials, (iii) supported metal catalysts comprising trivalent chromium, and (iv) unsupported chrome oxide catalysts prepared by the pyrolysis of (NH4)2Cr2O7, to produce a product containing less than 10 parts (CF3)2C═CF2 per million parts of CF3CHFCF3;
• and
• (C) treating the product of (B) as necessary to remove excess perfluoroisobutylene.