PROCESS FOR VINYL CHLORIDE MANUFACTURE FROM ETHANE AND ETHYLENE WITH AIR FEED AND ALTERNATIVE HCL PROCESSING METHODS

摘要

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). Optionally, the second process may be run under conditions to react C2 hydrocarbons to extinction and thereby eliminate a need for C2 hydrocarbon recycle. Either process may include a hydrogenation unit for converting cis/trans-1,2-dichloroethylenes) to ethylene dichloride.