(336a) Process for the Production of Tetrachloropropene

Major producers of refrigerant for automobile air conditioning are developing the 4th generation of refrigerants with 2,3,3,3-tetrafluororopene (HFO-1234yf) as a replacement for HFC-134a. This hydrofluoro-olefin has properties that meet European requirements of low global warming potential and no impact on the ozone layer. The most cost efficient feedstock for the production of HFO-1234yf has been identified to be 1,1,2,3-tetrachloropropene (TCPe). One potential economically advantaged raw material for TCPe is PDC (1,2-dichloropropane) which is a byproduct of propylene oxide produced by a chlorohydrin process. PDC can be chlorinated to produce Pentachloropropanes (PCP) intermediates which can be further dehydrochlorinated to TCPe. In this work, the development of a kinetic model of PDC liquid phase chlorination to PCP and a proposed process to produce TCPe will be presented.