Occidental Chemical Corporation

Alliedsignal Inc.

Kevin R Benson

Sanjay K Mandal

David Nalewajek

Michael J Fifolt

William S Derwin

George Piotrowski

John Hickey

James Franc

Alagappan Thenappan

David Elliott Bradley

David E Bradley

Disclosed is a method of making an &agr;-chloro-&agr;,&agr;-difluoro aromatic compound. An &agr;,&agr;,&agr;-trichloro aromatic compound having the general formula

Method of making &agr;-chloro-&agr;,&agr;-difluoro aromatic compounds

Disclosed is a method for making high purity .alpha.-chloroxylenes. A composition is formed of about 15 to about 80 wt % of a xylene and about 20 to about 85 wt % of a solvent. The solvent can be toluene, ring halogenated toluene, benzotrichloride, ring halogenated benzotrichloride, benzotrifluoride, ring halogenated benzotrifluoride, .alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.',.alpha.'-hexafluorometaxylene, .alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.',.alpha.'-hexafluoroparaxylene, or a mixture thereof. The composition is heated to about 70 to about 160.degree. C. No base is present in the composition. Chlorine gas is sparged through the composition and chlorine free radicals are generated therein. The chlorine free radicals can be generated either with UV light or by means of a chlorine free radical initiator.

Method of making .alpha.-chloroxylenes

Disclosed is a process for making an .alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.-trifluoromethoxybenzene by reacting an .alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.-trichloromethoxybenzene or an .alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.-tribromomethoxybenzene with gaseous hydrogen fluoride in the presence of a catalyst of antimony pentachloride, molybdenum pentachloride, molybdenum dichloride dioxide, molybdenum oxide, or a mixture thereof. The hydrogen fluoride is used in an amount of about 1 to about 1.4 times stoichiometric and is at about atmospheric pressure. The reaction is performed at about 30 to about 100.degree. C.

Method of making trifluoromethoxybenzenes

A process for producing a fluorinated organic compound comprising: (a) reacting an organic starting material with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of a fluorination catalyst and an HFC reaction solvent to produce a product stream containing the fluorinated organic compound wherein the reaction solvent has a boiling point higher than that of the fluorinated organic compound; and (b) recovering the fluorinated organic compound from the product stream.

Method of producing fluorinated organic compounds

Disclosed is a method of chlorinating a side chain of a aromatic or heterocyclic ether. The aromatic or heterocyclic ether is mixed with a fluorine-containing aliphatic solvent. The aromatic or heterocyclic ether is contacted with chlorine radical at an elevated temperature which results in its chlorination. The chlorinated product is preferably insoluble in the solvent and separates, forming two phases. The solvent phase can be recycled and reused.

Side chain chlorination of aromatic and heterocyclic ethers

A process for the continuous production of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (HFC-236fa) and/or 1-chloro-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropane (HCFC-235fa) in the liquid phase wherein the HFC-235fa and/or HFC-236fa serve as solvents for the reaction. When the reaction is conducted in the presence of a catalyst of SbF.sub.3, SbF.sub.5 or a mixture of SbF.sub.5 and HSO.sub.3 F, the reaction mass is unexpectedly less corrosive to the reaction vessel used.

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West Seneca, NY, United States of America

Kevin R Benson