Process for producing fluorinated aliphatic compounds

A process for producing fluorinated aliphatic compounds, comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a catalyst comprising a carrier that is promotable with alkali metal halides and at least one alkali metal halide that promotes the carrier:
• (b) introducing the catalyst into a reactor and creating a reaction zone in the reactor having a temperature in a range of about 100° C. to about 450° C.;
• (c) introducing into the reaction zone a starting reagent selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarboxlic acids, polyfluorocarboxylic acids and derivatives thereof;
• said starting reagent consisting essentially of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and fluorine and, optionally, another halogen, whereby to cause the starting reagent to contact the catalyst in the reaction zone and to undergo pyrolysis to obtain an unsaturated aliphatic compound selected from the group consisting of perfluoroolefins, polyfluoroolefins and derivatives thereof;
• and
• (d) introducing hydrogen fluoride into the reaction zone to cause a hydrofluorination of the unsaturated aliphatic compound with formation of a fluorinated aliphatic compound selected from the group consisting of polyfluoroalkanes and derivatives thereof.