Continuous low-temperature process to produce trans-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene

1. A method for the production of (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene without the use of a catalyst comprising the steps of;

(a) operating a series of two or more agitated reaction vessels wherein each vessel is maintained at a temperature range of 65° C. to 175° C., each vessel in succession converting a portion of the original reactants fed to the first of the reaction vessels, with all of the reaction vessels being run simultaneously and operating in a continuous fashion;

(b) conducting, in each of the reaction vessels, a series of catalyst free fluorination reactions of a starting material selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane, 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene, and 1,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene, and any mixtures thereof, using HF with simultaneous removal of by-product HCl and the product (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene;

(c) recycling at least a portion of any unreacted starting material and HF together with any under-fluorinated by-products back to step (b);

(d) separating and purifying by-product HCl;

(e) separating excess HF back to step (b);

(f) purifying the desired product, (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene; and

(g) isomerization any by-product (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene to (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene; and

wherein process steps (a) through (g) produce (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene in a yield of at least 90 weight percent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a continuous stream of unconverted starting materials, under-fluorinated intermediates, and some unreacted HF are taken from the bottom of the first reaction vessel and fed to a second reaction vessel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein additional HF is added as required.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a continuous stream of unconverted starting material, under-fluorinated intermediates, and some unreacted HF is taken from the bottom of the second reaction vessel and fed to a third reaction vessel.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein additional HF is added as required.

6. A method for producing a hydrochlorofluoroalkene in a series of two or more agitated reaction vessels, comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a liquid reaction admixture in at least one of the reaction vessels, said admixture comprising hydrogen fluoride, and a reactant composition selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane, 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene, 1,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene, and any mixtures thereof, wherein the hydrogen fluoride and the reactant composition are present in a molar ratio of greater than about 3:1;

(b) reacting the hydrogen fluoride and the reactant composition in a catalyst free liquid phase using one or more agitated reactors in series wherein each reactor is maintained at a temperature range of 65° C. to 175° C. to produce one or more reaction product streams selected from the group consisting of (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoro-propene, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene and unreacted compounds of the reactant composition and/or under-fluorinated intermediates, wherein each reaction product stream has a weight ratio of (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoro-propene to (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene of greater than 1; and

(c) wherein optionally, each individual reaction vessel in the series may be equipped with a rectifying column that returns some of the unreacted HF, and the majority of unreacted 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane, and/or 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene and/or 1,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene and/or under-fluorinated intermediates back to the reaction vessel; and

(d) combining the resulting reaction product streams into a single combined reaction product stream.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, the under-fluorinated intermediates are selected from the group consisting of 1,1,3,3-tetrachloro-1-fluoropropane (241fa), 1,1,3,3-tertachloro-3-fluoropropene (1231zd), 1,1,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoropropane (242fa), 1,1,3-trichloro-3,3-difluoropropene (1232zd), 1,1-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropane (243fa), and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein, if optional step (c) is employed then optionally, the method further comprises the following steps (e) and (f):

(e) contacting the combined reaction product stream with a recycle column to produce:

(i) a first crude product stream comprising a majority of the hydrogen chloride, a majority of the (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, optionally a majority of the (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, and at least a portion of the unreacted hydrogen fluoride, wherein the portion is an amount greater than the amount needed to form an azeotrope with one or more of the (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene and the (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, and

(ii) a bottom component comprising a majority of the unreacted hydrogen fluoride and unreacted compounds of the reactant composition and/or under fluorinated intermediates; and

(f) returning the bottom component to the reaction admixture.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein, if optional step (c) is not employed, then the method further comprises steps (e) and (f):

(e) contacting the combined reaction product stream with a recycle column to produce:

(i) a first crude product stream comprising a majority of the hydrogen chloride, a majority of the (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, optionally a majority of the (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, and at least a portion of the unreacted hydrogen fluoride, wherein the portion is an amount greater than the amount needed to form an azeotrope with one or more of the (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene and the (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, and

(ii) a bottom component comprising a majority of the unreacted hydrogen fluoride and unreacted compounds of the reactant composition and/or under fluorinated intermediates; and

(f) returning the bottom component to the reaction admixture.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following additional steps:

(g) separating unreacted reactants, including unreacted 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane, and/or 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene and/or 1,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene and/or under-fluorinated intermediates via distillation and recycling these unreacted reactants and under-fluorinated intermediates back to the reactor; either in step (c) or (e), or in both steps (c) and (e);

(h) removing at least a portion, and preferably a majority, of hydrochloric acid by-product via distillation;

(i) separating and recycling unreacted HF in a crude product stream via a sulfuric acid adsorption or a phase separation;

(j) further removing the residual acid in a crude product by the steps of polishing by a water or weak caustic absorption and drying;

(k) distillation of the crude product stream to separate (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene from reaction by-products; and

(1) isomerization of (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene by-products to form (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, the under-fluorinated intermediates are selected from the group consisting of 1,1,3,3-tetrachloro-1-fluoropropane (241fa), 1,1,3,3-tertachloro-3-fluoropropene (1231zd), 1,1,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoropropane (242fa), 1,1,3-trichloro-3,3-difluoropropene (1232zd), 1,1-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropane (243fa), and mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises one or more of the following additional steps:

(g) separating unreacted reactants, including unreacted 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane, and/or 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene and/or 1,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene and/or under-fluorinated intermediates via distillation and recycling these unreacted reactants and under-fluorinated intermediates back to the reactor; either in step (c) or (e), or in both steps (c) and (e);

(h) removing at least a portion, and preferably a majority, of hydrochloric acid by-product via distillation;

(i) separating and recycling unreacted HF in a crude product stream via a sulfuric acid adsorption or a phase separation;

(j) further removing the residual acid in a crude product by the steps of polishing by a water or weak caustic absorption and drying;

(k) distillation of the crude product stream to separate (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene from reaction by-products; and

(l) isomerization of (Z)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene by-products to form (E)1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, the under-fluorinated intermediates are selected from the group consisting of 1,1,3,3-tetrachloro-1-fluoro-propane (241fa), 1,1,3,3-tertachloro-3-fluoropropene (1231zd), 1,1,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoropropane (242fa), 1,1,3-trichloro-3,3-difluoropropene (1232zd), 1,1-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropane (243fa), and mixtures thereof.