Claims
- 1. A process for preparing ethylene or a mixture of ethylene and vinyl chloride by the reaction of ethane and chlorine which comprises:
- (a) providing a stream of ethane feed gas and a stream of chlorine feed gas;
- (b) preheating either said ethane stream only or both said ethane and chlorine streams to temperatures sufficient for the resultant mixture to have a temperature above 215.degree. C. allowing the formation of free radicals from chlorine;
- (c) thoroughly mixing said ethane and chlorine feed gases at a molar ratio of ethane to chlorine of at least about 0.9:1.0 within less than one second to avoid substantial coking and formation of undesired by-products;
- (d) adjusting the final temperature of the reacting gaseous mixture in the reaction zone to between about 600.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C.; and
- (e) selecting the residence time in the reaction zone
- such that the combined molar yield of ethylene and vinyl chloride is at least about 80% of the ethane and ethylene predominates in the products reacted.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the final temperature of the reacting gaseous mixture is adjusted to between about 600.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C. by selecting
- (a) the initial temperature of the mixture of ethane and chlorine prior to any substantial reaction between the ethane and chlorine;
- (b) the molar ratio of ethane to chlorine used;
- (c) the presence or absence of any diluent; and
- (d) the amount of heat that is transferred to the mixture in the reaction zone.
- 3. A process according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the reaction zone for said mixture of ethane and chlorine is well insulated to provide for heat conservation so that the reaction may be conducted substantially adiabatically.
- 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein said preheating enables said resultant mixture to have a temperature between about 400.degree. C. and about 550.degree. C., and wherein heat is transferred to the reacting mixture so that the reacted mixture has a temperature between about 600.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C.
- 5. A process according to claim 3 wherein the molar ratio of ethane to chlorine is between about 1.1:1.0 to about 2.0:1.0.
- 6. A process according to claim 3 wherein the molar ratio of ethane to chlorine is between about 1.3:1.0 to about 1.6:1.0, and wherein said reacted mixture has a temperature between about 650.degree. C. and about 750.degree. C.
- 7. A process according to claim 1 wherein said mixture is permitted to react in a reaction zone, and wherein said mixture has a residence time in said reaction zone at least about 0.5 second.
- 8. A process according to claim 7 wherein said residence time is about 1 to about 10 seconds.
- 9. A process according to claim 7 wherein said residence time is about 4 to about 6 seconds.
- 10. A process according to claim 1 further comprising providing a catalyst to promote the reaction between said ethane and chlorine.
- 11. A process according to claim 1 further comprising a diluent in said mixture.
- 12. A process according to claim 11 wherein said diluent is an inert diluent.
- 13. A process according to claim 11 wherein said diluent is ethane.
- 14. A process according to claim 1 wherein said ethane and chlorine feed gases are thoroughly mixed by introducing the chlorine at several different locations for mixing with the ethane stream.
- 15. A process according to claim 1 wherein said ethane and chlorine are reacted in an inert reaction zone made of a material selected from quartz, silicon carbide, alumina, and graphite.
- 16. A process according to claim 1 further comprising reacting the ethylene and hydrogen chloride produced from the reaction of ethane and chlorine with an oxygen source to produce dichloroethane.
- 17. A process according to claim 16 further comprising heating said dichloroethane to produce vinyl chloride.
- 18. A process according to claim 1 wherein said mixing of the ethane and chlorine is accomplished by introducing said ethane stream and said chlorine stream into a mixing zone at an angle of substantially about 90.degree. to each other.
- 19. A process according to claim 1 wherein said mixing of the ethane and chlorine is accomplished by providing a chlorine stream having a velocity higher than the velocity of the ethane stream.
- 20. A process for preparing ethylene or a mixture of ethylene and vinyl chloride by the reaction of ethane and chlorine which comprises:
- (a) providing a stream of ethane feed gas and a stream of chlorine feed gas;
- (b) preheating either said ethane stream only or both said ethane and chlorine streams to temperatures sufficient for the resultant mixture to have a temperature above 215.degree. C. allowing the formation of free radicals from chlorine;
- (c) thoroughly mixing said ethane and chlorine feed gases at a molar ratio of ethane to chlorine of at least about 0.9:1.0 within less than one second to avoid substantial coking and formation of undesired by-products;
- (d) adjusting the final temperature of the reacting gaseous mixture in the reaction zone to between about 600.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C.;
- (e) permitting said ethane and chlorine in said mixture to react in the essential absence of a diluent; and
- (f) selecting the residence time in the reaction zone such that the combined molar yield of ethylene and vinyl chloride is at least about 80% of the ethane and ethylene predominates in the products reacted.
- 21. A process for preparing ethylene or a mixture of ethylene and vinyl chloride by the reaction of ethane and chlorine which comprises:
- (a) providing a stream of ethane feed gas and a stream of chlorine feed gas;
- (b) preheating either said ethane stream only or both said ethane and chlorine streams to temperatures sufficient for the resultant mixture to have a temperature above 215.degree. C. allowing the formation of free radicals from chlorine;
- (c) thoroughly mixing said ethane and chlorine feed gases at a molar ratio of ethane to chlorine of at least about 0.9:1.0 within less than one second to avoid substantial coking and formation of undesired by-products;
- (d) adjusting the final temperature of the reacting gaseous mixture in the reaction zone to between about 600.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C.;
- (e) permitting said ethane and chlorine in said mixture to react in the essential absence of a diluent and a catalyst; and
- (f) selecting the residence time in the reaction zone such that the combined molar yield of ethylene and vinyl chloride is at least about 80% of the ethane and ethylene predominates in the products reacted.
- 22. A process according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the temperature of the chlorine stream just prior to its mixing with the ethane stream is below 215.degree. C. and thereby below the temperature allowing the formation of free radicals from the chlorine.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/190,434, filed Feb. 2, 1994, now abandoned; which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/041,534 filed Apr. 1, 1993, now abandoned; which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/622,239 filed Dec. 6, 1990, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (21)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
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2095242 |
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Continuations (3)
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190434 |
Feb 1994 |
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41534 |
Apr 1993 |
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622239 |
Dec 1990 |
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