CATALYTIC DEHYDROCHLORINATION OF 1, 2, DICHLOROETHANE TO VINYL CHLORIDE

Abstract

Catalytic dehydrochlorination of 1, 2, dichloroe/hane to vinyl chloride was investigated, employing homogeneous catalysts like carbon tetrachloride, oxygen and chlorine and heterogeneous catalyst Barium chloride on silica gel. It was found that with oxygen, induction period was noticed at low temperatures and low time factor (Vr/F) values. Chlorine (0' 5%) gave optimum yield of 91% at 350'C and (VR/F) value of200. The solid catalyst BaCI to SiO. Was found to operate efficiently only at higher temperatures and the life of the catalyst was  found to be rather short. The kinetics of the both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic reactions cowd be adequately expressed by a first order irreversible mechanism. The rate controlling step with BaCI on SiO catalyst was found to be the adsorption of dichloroethane over a limited temperature range.