Abstract
In the oxychlorination of C2H4, copper chloride on the active carbon has a higher activity than catalysts on other sorts of carrier. Examinations were made as to what relations exist between the selectivity of 1, 2-dichloroethane and composition of supplied gas and the reaction temperature. Two ranges in which the selectivity of 1, 2-dichloroethane does not vary and CO2 produced in large quantity were observed. The breaking point of both range depends on the mole ratio of HCl/C2H4 in the supplied gas and the reaction temperature. When the reaction is performed with the supplied gas having higher than 2 mole ratio of HCl/C2H4 the oxide-forming range does not appear. The forming rate of 1, 2-dichloroethane is shown by the following equation at chloride-forming range,
r=kPC2H4PHCl0.2.
Considering the rate equation shown above, the change of catalytic state and the results of the pulse technique, it is reduced that the mechanism of the oxychlorination of C2H4 with copper chloride catalyst is consisted of the following two equations,
C2H4+2CuCl2→C2H4Cl2+Cu2Cl2 (a)
Cu2Cl2+2HCl+1/2O2→2CuCl2+H2O (b)
and the former is rate determining step.
