Process for producing 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene in an ionic liquid

1. A process for the formation of 1-chloro-3,3,3- trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233zd) comprising reacting a starting material selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane (HCC-240fa), 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene, 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropene, and mixtures thereof, with hydrogen fluoride in a liquid phase reactor in a reaction medium consisting essentially of HF, the starting material, and an ionic liquid without a catalyst.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the starting material comprises 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane (HCC-240fa).

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the starting material comprises 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the starting material comprises 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropene.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the starting material comprises a mixture of two or three of the starting materials selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloro-propane (HCC-240fa), 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene, and 1,1,1,3-tetrachloro-propene.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen fluoride is anhydrous.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of I − , Br − , Cl − , F − , (HF) n F − , wherein n=1.0-4.0, and combinations thereof.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the anions in the ionic liquid are externally introduced into the process.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the anions in the ionic liquid are in-situ generated.

10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the anion (HF) n F − , wherein n=1.0 -4.0, is formed by the interactions of an ionic liquid with Cl − as anion and HF in the reactor.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises a cation selected from the group consisting of ammonium, sulfonium, phosphonium, imidazolium, pyridinium, pyrrolidinium, thiazolium, triazolium, oxazolium, pyrazolium, and combinations thereof.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises an imidazolium cation selected from the group consisting of 1-methylimidazolium, 1-ethyl -imidazolium,1-propylimidazolium, 1-butylimidazolium, 1,2-dimethylimidazolium, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-n-butyl-3-ethylimidazolium, 1,3-di-n-butylimidazolium, 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium, 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium, 3-butyl-1-methylimidazolium, 3-butyl1-ethyl-imidazolium, 3-methyl-2-ethylimidazolium, 3-butyl-2-methylimidazolium, 3-butyl-2-ethyl-imidazolium, 3,4-dimethylimidazolium, 3-butyl-4-methylimidazolium, 1,2,3-trimethyl-imidazolium, 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium, 1,3-dibutyl-2-methylimidazolium,3-butyl-1,2-dimethylimidazolium, 1,3,4-trimethylimidazolium, 3-butyl-1,4-dimethyl-imidazolium, 2-ethyl-3,4-dimethylimidazolium, 3-butyl-2-ethyl-4-methylimidazolium,1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazolium, 3-butyl-1,4,5-trimethylimidazolium, and combinations thereof.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amount of ionic liquid used relative to the amount of starting material present is from about 0.001 to about 10 mol %.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mole ratio of HF to starting material ranges from 3:1 to 30:1.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction temperature range is from 50° C. to 200° C.

16. A process for the formation of 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233zd) comprising the following steps:

(a) fluorination of a starting material selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane (HCC-240fa), 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene, 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropene, and mixtures thereof, using HF in a reaction medium consisting essentially of HF, the starting material and an ionic liquid without a catalyst, with simultaneous removal of by-product HCl and the product 1233zd(E+Z);

(b) separation and purification of by-product HCl;

(c) separation of excess HF back to step (a); and

(d) purification of final product, 1233zd(E), 1233zd(Z), or a mixture of these two isomers.