Abstract: In one aspect, a process for producing vinyl chloride from ethane/ethylene involving: (a) combining ethane, ethylene, or mixtures thereof with an oxygen source and a chlorine source in a reactor containing a suitable catalyst under conditions sufficient to convert substantially all of the C2 hydrocarbon fed and to produce a product stream comprising vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride; and (b) recycling unreacted hydrogen chloride back for use in Step (a). No C2 hydrocarbon recycle is required in this process. In another aspect, a process for producing vinyl chloride involving: (a) combining ethane, optionally ethylene, an oxygen source, and a chlorine source in a reactor containing a suitable catalyst under conditions sufficient to produce vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride; (b) catalytically reacting said hydrogen chloride in a second reactor to provide a second reactor effluent essentially devoid of hydrogen chloride; and (c) recycling said second reactor effluent to step (a).

Abstract: An improvement upon spectroscopic cells of the type that have a single window sealed to each window opening of the cell body. The improvement is: (1) to position an additional window at each such opening, each such window being juxtaposed, spaced apart and biplanar with each original window so that there is a sealed space between each additional window and each original window; and (2) to position at least two passageways through the body of the cell, each such passageway in fluid communication with each of the above formed sealed spaces so that any leakage of a sample past the original seal is vented from the cell via one of the passageways to a detector to be detected.