Abstract: A process for preparing 1,2-dichloroethane by reacting about 2 mols of ethylene, about 4 mols of hydrogen chloride and about 1 mol of oxygen in the presence of a fixed bed of supported catalyst based on copper(II) chloride in only one reaction zone at a pressure of from 2 to 10 bar and at from 220 to 280° C.

Abstract: 1,2-Dichloroethane is prepared by reacting ethylene, hydrogen chloride and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a copper-containing catalyst by a process in which first hydrogen chloride and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas are reacted in the presence of the catalyst, then ethylene is added, and the mixture is reacted in the presence of the said catalyst.

Abstract: 1,2-Dichloroethane is prepared by oxychlorination of ethylene in the presence of a catalyst which contains, on a conventional carrier, copper(II) chloride in a concentration such that the amount of copper ions is from 1 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the catalyst, by a process in which the catalyst is obtained by impregnating the carrier with an aqueous solution which contains copper(II) chloride and hydrogen chloride in amounts such that the weight ratio of copper ions to hydrogen chloride is from 13:1 to 130:1.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of vinyl chloride by vaporizing liquid 1,2-dichloroethane, thermally cracking the 1,2-dichloroethane and cooling the hot reaction mixture by means of cooled and condensed portions of the reaction mixture, wherein a defined amount of the 1,2-dichloroethane is taken off as liquid in or downstream of the vaporizer and mixed with a defined amount of the cooled liquid portion of the reaction mixture, the mixture is distilled and the constituents taken off the top of the distillation column are mixed with the liquid 1,2-dichloroethane upstream of the vaporizer while the constituents taken off the bottom of the distillation column are worked up by distillation.