The present invention relates to improvements in known gold containing catalysts. In particular, the present invention relates to improving the stability and/or inhibition of deactivation of gold containing catalysts via the addition of an inorganic oxide, hydroxide, oxo-salt or oxo-acid. There is also disclosed a method for preparing said catalyst most suitably via an impregnation method. Such catalysts are useful in the production of vinyl chloride monomer.

The present invention relates to a method for chlorination and dehydrogenation of ethane, comprising: mixing and reacting a low-melting-point metal chloride with C.sub.2H.sub.6, such that the low-melting-point metal chloride is reduced to a liquid-state low-melting-point metal, and the C.sub.2H.sub.6 is chlorinated and dehydrogenized to give a mixed gas containing HCl, C.sub.2H.sub.6, C.sub.2H.sub.4, C.sub.2H.sub.2 and C.sub.2H.sub.3Cl. In the method, the low-melting-point metal chloride is used as a raw material for chlorination and dehydrogenation, and the low-melting-point metal produced after the reaction is used as an intermediate medium. The method has the characteristics of simple process, low cost and high yield. Moreover, some acetylene and vinyl chloride can be produced as by-products at the same time when the ethylene is produced, by controlling the ratio of ethane to the chloride as desired in production.

The present invention relates to a method for chlorination and dehydrogenation of ethane, comprising: mixing and reacting a low-melting-point metal chloride with C.sub.2H.sub.6, such that the low-melting-point metal chloride is reduced to a liquid-state low-melting-point metal, and the C.sub.2H.sub.6 is chlorinated and dehydrogenized to give a mixed gas containing HCl, C.sub.2H.sub.6, C.sub.2H.sub.4, C.sub.2H.sub.2 and C.sub.2H.sub.3Cl. In the method, the low-melting-point metal chloride is used as a raw material for chlorination and dehydrogenation, and the low-melting-point metal produced after the reaction is used as an intermediate medium. The method has the characteristics of simple process, low cost and high yield. Moreover, some acetylene and vinyl chloride can be produced as by-products at the same time when the ethylene is produced, by controlling the ratio of ethane to the chloride as desired in production.

A process is provided for the chlorination of ethane using chlorine as the chlorinating agent to produce ethylene, hydrogen chloride (HCl) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

A process is provided for the chlorination of ethane using chlorine as the chlorinating agent to produce ethylene, hydrogen chloride (HCl) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

A process is provided for the chlorination of ethane using chlorine as the chlorinating agent to produce ethylene, hydrogen chloride (HCl) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

A process is provided for the chlorination of ethane using chlorine as the chlorinating agent to produce ethylene, hydrogen chloride (HCl) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

A process is provided for the chlorination of ethane using chlorine as the chlorinating agent to produce ethylene, hydrogen chloride (HCl) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

A process is provided for the chlorination of ethane using chlorine as the chlorinating agent to produce ethylene, hydrogen chloride (HCl) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

Supported, bimetallic catalyst systems are provided. The supported, bimetallic catalyst system can include a support defining a surface; a core metal positioned on the surface of the support; and a shell metal positioned on the core metal to form a core-shell particle on the surface of the support. The core metal has a surface free energy that is higher than a surface free energy of the shell metal. Methods are also provided for the formation of such supported, bimetallic catalyst systems, as well as the use of such supported, bimetallic catalyst systems in chemical processes.