Process for the purification of (hydro) halocarbons

1. A process for reducing the concentration of at least one undesired sulfur containing impurity in a composition to be treated which comprises one or more desired (hydro)halocarbons and one or more of said undesired sulphur containing impurities, said process consisting of contacting said composition with an adsorbent comprising an acid stable molecular sieve having a pore size of from 2 to 10 Å and/or an activated carbon to reduce said concentration of said at least one undesired sulfur containing impurity.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition to be treated also comprises one or more undesired halogenated organic compounds and said contacting with said adsorbent also reduces the concentration of at least one said undesired halogenated organic compound.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition to be treated comprises at least one desired (hydro)halocarbon having a carbon chain length of from one to four.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the composition to be treated comprises at least one desired (hydro)halocarbon selected from halogenated alkanes, halogenated alkenes and halogenated ethers.

5. A process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the composition to be treated comprises at least one desired (hydro)halocarbon selected from hydrofluoroalkanes, hydrochlorofluoroalkanes, chlorofluoroalkanes, perfluoroalkanes, perchloroalkenes, hydrochloroalkenes and (hydro)fluoroethers.

6. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hydrofluoroalkane is at least one of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a), 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane (R-227ea), 1,1-difluoroethane (R-152a), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R-143a), pentafluoroethane (R-125), difluoromethane (R-32), 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (R-245fa), 1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (R-245ca), 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane (R-365mfc) and hexafluorobutane (R-356).

7. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hydrochlorofluoroalkane is at least one of chlorodifluoromethane (R-22), 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (R-141b), 1-chloro-1,1-difluoro ethane (R-142b), 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethane (R-133a), 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R-123), 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-124) and dichloropentafluoropropane (R-225).

8. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the chlorofluoroalkane is at least one of dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12), 1,2-dichloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-114) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane (R-113a).

9. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the perfluoroalkane is at least one of perfluoromethane (R-14), perfluoroethane (R-116), perfluoropropane (R-218), perfluorobutane, perfluorocyclobutane, perfluoropentane and perfluorohexane.

10. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the perchloroalkene is perchloroethene.

11. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hydrochloroalkene is at least one of trichloroethene and vinyl chloride.

12. A process as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hydrofluoroether is at least one of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl fluoromethyl ether, 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethyl difluoromethyl ether, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether, trifluoromethyl difluoromethyl ether and 1,1,1-trifluoroethyl tetrafluoroethyl ether.

13. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one undesired sulphur containing impurity includes one of hydrogen sulphide, carbon disulphide, carbonyl sulphide, sulphur dioxide, sulphur trioxide, sulphuric acid, dimethyldisulphide, ethanethiol and diethyldisulphide.

14. A process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said one or more undesired halogenated organic compounds include at least one of chlorofluoromethanes, difluoroethanes, tetrafluoroethanes, chlorodifluoroethenes and chlorofluoroethenes.

15. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises an acid stable molecular sieve having a pore size of from 3 to 5 Å.

16. A process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the adsorbent comprises an acid stable molecular sieve having a pore size of from 3 to 4 Å.

17. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises a zeolite.

18. A process as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the adsorbent comprises AW-300 molecular sieve.

19. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises an activated carbon.

20. A process as claimed in claim 1 , which is conducted in the liquid phase.

21. A process as claimed in claim 1 , which is conducted at a temperature of less than 100° C.

22. A process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising regenerating the adsorbent after it has been removed from the (hydro)halocarbon composition.

23. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said contacting with said adsorbent reduces said concentration of said undesired sulfur containing impurities by at least 50% by weight.

24. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said contacting with said adsorbent reduces said concentration of said undesired sulfur containing impurities by at least 90% by weight.

25. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said contacting with said adsorbent reduces said concentration of said undesired sulfur containing impurities by at least 98% by weight.

26. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said contacting with said adsorbent reduces said concentration of said undesired sulfur containing impurities to a level below the limit of detection.

27. A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said contacting with said adsorbent reduces said concentration of said undesired sulfur containing impurities to a level below the limit of detection by smell and/or chromatography.