Abstract: The present invention provides an efficient process for the production of ethylene or a mixture of ethylene and vinyl chloride, in which some 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) may also be produced, by reacting chlorine with ethane. The process is characterized by a conversion of ethane per pass through the reactor of at least about 50%, and a combined molar yield of ethylene and vinyl chloride of at least about 80% based on the ethane consumed. In accordance with this invention, there is provided 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;(c) thoroughly mixing said ethane and chlorine feed gases within about one second and at a molar ratio of ethane to chlorine of at least about 0.9:1.

Abstract: A process for reacting ethane with chlorine to produce a mixture of ethylene and vinyl chloride is disclosed. The process involves the intimate mixing of ethane and chlorine in an ethane to chlorine ratio of at least about 0.9:1 at a temperature such that ethane and chlorine do not react during mixing, and heating the mixture to a temperature above about 215.degree. C. to commence the reaction, allowing the reaction to proceed for a period of less than about 1 minute, and providing sufficient heat to the reacting mixture so that the reacted mixture will have a temperature between about 400.degree. C. and about 800.degree. C.

Abstract: A process of recovering chlorine from a stream of hydrogen chloride comprising the steps of exothermically reacting a stream of hydrogen chloride and oxygen with a fluidized bed of a carrier catalyst containing cupric oxide and cupric chloride in a reaction zone within a chlorinator reactor at temperatures between 150.degree. and 220.degree. C. to convert part of the cupric oxide to cupric chloride and cupric hydroxychloride, thereby essentially eliminating the hydrogen chloride to produce a product stream including chlorine, residual oxygen, inerts and water, which is removed from the chlorinator reactor; passing the resulting carrier catalyst containing cupric chloride, cupric hydroxychloride, and residual cupric oxide from the chlorinator reactor to the combination oxidation reactor to form a bed which is operated at temperatures between 300.degree. and 400.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for the efficient production of Cl.sub.2 from gaseous HCl, using a catalyst containing a transition metal oxide, an alkali metal chloride, and, optionally, a trivalent rare earth chloride, operates efficiently at moderate temperatures and without volatilization of the catalyst. The process comprises two steps: (1) a chloridizing step in which the HCl is contacted with the catalyst at an elevated temperatures, converting the transition metal oxide to a transition metal chloride with elimination of water; and (2) an oxidizing step in which the transition metal chloride produced in the first step is contacted with a source of oxygen at a temperature at least about 300.degree. C. but less than 400.degree. C. and sufficiently high that Cl.sub.2 is evolved and the transition metal chloride is reconverted to a transition metal oxide. The temperature of the oxidizing step is increased over that of the chloridizing step. Preferably, the transition metal oxide is MnO.sub.2, in which case the MnO.sub.

Abstract: A process of recovering chlorine from a stream of hydrocarbon chloride includes providing a first fluidized bed of a carrier catalyst cupric oxide in a first reaction zone within a first reactor; supplying hydrogen chloride in a first stream to that first zone for fluidizing the first bed and for exothermic reaction with cupric oxide in the bed to produce cupric chloride, water and heat, removing cupric chloride from that zone in a second stream, and removing water from that zone and removing heat from that zone; feeding the second stream to a second reaction zone within a second reactor, and providing a second fluidized bed of cupric chloride in the second reaction zone, and; supplying oxygen in a third stream to the second zone for fluidizing the second bed and for endothermic reaction with cupric chloride in the second bed at elevated temperatures between 300.degree. and 360.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for the conversion of chlorinated organic compounds by gas-phase pyrolysis in a reducing atmosphere to produce hydrogen chloride in the essential absence of chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A process of recovering Cl.sub.2 from a stream of HCl includes the steps of providing a first fluidized bed of a carrier catalyst CuO in a first reaction zone; supplying HCl in a first stream to that zone for reaction with CuO in the bed to produce CuCl.sub.2, H.sub.2 O and heat, removing CuCl.sub.2 from the zone in a second stream, removing H.sub.2 O from the zone and removing heat from the zone; feeding the second stream to a second reaction zone, and providing a second fluidized bed of CuCl.sub.2 in the second reaction zone; and supplying O.sub.2 in a third stream to the second zone for reaction with CuCl.sub.2 in the second bed at elevated temperature to produce CuO and Cl.sub.2, removing Cl.sub.2 from the second zone in a fourth stream, and removing CuO from the second bed for re-use as a catalyst to produce CuCl.sub.2.

Abstract: A method for chemically converting methane gas into higher molecular weight hydrocarbons by using chlorine gas as a recyclable, active catalyst.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the elemental composition of materials in concentrations as low as a few atoms, or molecules, per cubic centimeter. When introduced into a gas stream containing an excess of an energetic metastable species of nitrogen or noble gas, the material, if atomic, is rapidly and repeatedly excited, or, if molecular, it is decomposed and subsequently certain component atoms of the molecule are excited, and thereupon fluoresce at their characteristic wavelength(s). The wavelength(s) and intensity of the emitted light (fluorescence) are determinative respectively of the identity and the concentration of the atoms of the different elements present.

Abstract: A method of separating deuterium, i.e. heavy hydrogen, from certain naturally occuring sources using tuned infrared lasers to selectively decompose specified classes of organic molecules (i.e. RX) into enriched molecular products containing deuterium atoms. The deuterium containing molecules are easily separated from the starting material by absorption, distillation or other simple chemical separation techniques and methods. After evaporation such deuterium containing molecules can be burned to form water with an enriched deuterium content or pyrolyzed to form hydrogen gas with an enriched deuterium content. The undecomposed molecules and the other reaction products which are depleted of their deuterium containing species can be catalytically treated, preferably using normal water, to restore the natural abundance of deuterium and such restored molecules can then be recycled.