Azeotrope compositions comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropene and hydrogen fluoride and uses thereof

A process for the separation of E-HFC-1225ye from HFC-236 comprising:

• a. forming a mixture of E-HFC-1225ye, HFC-236, and hydrogen fluoride;
• and
• b. subjecting said mixture to a distillation step forming a column distillate composition comprising an azeotrope or near-azeotrope composition of hydrogen fluoride and E-HFC-1225ye essentially free of HFC-236;
• wherein said azeotrope or near-azeotrope composition comprises from about 57.0 mole percent to about 78.0 mole percent E-HFC-1225ye and from about 43.0 mole percent to about 22.0 mole percent hydrogen fluoride.

A process for the purification of E-HFC-1225ye from a mixture of E-HFC-1225ye, HFC-236, and hydrogen fluoride, said process comprising:

• a. subjecting said mixture to a first distillation step to form a first distillate comprising an azeotrope or near-azeotrope composition containing E-HFC-1225ye and hydrogen fluoride and a first bottoms comprising HFC-236;
• b. subjecting said first distillate to a second distillation step from which a composition enriched in either (i) hydrogen fluoride or (ii) E-HFC-1225ye is removed as a second distillate composition with a second bottoms composition being enriched in the other of said components (i) or (ii);
• and
• c. subjecting said second distillate composition to a third distillation step conducted at a different pressure than the second distillation step in which the component enriched in the second bottoms composition in (b) is removed in a third distillate composition with a third bottoms composition enriched in the same component that was enriched in the second distillate composition;
• wherein said azeotrope or near-azeotrope composition of (a) comprises from about 57.0 mole percent to about 78.0 mole percent E-HFC-1225ye and from about 43.0 mole percent to about 22.0 mole percent hydrogen fluoride.

A process to produce E-HFC-1225ye essentially free of HF and HFC-236 comprising:

• a. feeding HFC-236 to a reaction zone for dehydrofluorination to form a reaction product composition comprising E-HFC-1225ye, unreacted HFC-236 and hydrogen fluoride;
• b. subjecting said reaction product composition to a first distillation step to form a first distillate composition comprising an azeotrope or near-azeotrope composition containing E-HFC-1225ye and hydrogen fluoride and a first bottoms composition comprising HFC-236;
• c. subjecting said first distillate composition to a second distillation step from which a composition enriched in either (i) hydrogen fluoride or (ii) E-HFC-1225ye is removed as a second distillate composition with a second bottoms composition being enriched in the other of said components (i) or (ii);
• and
• d. subjecting said second distillate composition to a third distillation step conducted at a different pressure than the second distillation step in which the component enriched in the second bottoms composition in (c) is removed in a third distillate composition with a third bottoms composition enriched in the same component that was enriched in the second distillate composition;
• wherein said azeotrope or near-azeotrope composition of (b) comprises from about 57.0 mole percent to about 78.0 mole percent E-HFC-1225ye and from about 43.0 mole percent to about 22.0 mole percent hydrogen fluoride.