The present invention provides a process for the preparation of 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethane comprising the following stages: (i) dehydrofluorinating 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethane to form a product stream comprising 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene, optionally separation of 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene from the product stream and (ii) hydrogenating 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene obtained in stage (i) to give 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethane.

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethane comprising the following stages: (i) dehydrofluorinating 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethane to form a product stream comprising 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene, optionally separation of 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene from the product stream and (ii) hydrogenating 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene obtained in stage (i) to give 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethane.

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethane comprising the following stages: (i) dehydrofluorinating 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-chloroethane to form a product stream comprising 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene, optionally separation of 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene from the product stream and (ii) hydrogenating 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethylene obtained in stage (i) to give 1-chloro-2,2-difluoroethane.

The present invention relates to a process for purifying 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane, comprising the steps of: i) providing a composition A1 comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane; ii) purifying, preferably distilling, said composition A1 under conditions that are sufficient to form at least two streams including a first stream comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane and a second stream comprising 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane. The present invention also relates to a process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and a composition comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

The present invention relates to a process for purifying 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane, comprising the steps of: i) providing a composition A1 comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane; ii) purifying, preferably distilling, said composition A1 under conditions that are sufficient to form at least two streams including a first stream comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane and a second stream comprising 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane. The present invention also relates to a process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and a composition comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

The present invention relates to a process for purifying 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane, comprising the steps of: i) providing a composition A1 comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane; ii) purifying, preferably distilling, said composition A1 under conditions that are sufficient to form at least two streams including a first stream comprising 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane and a second stream comprising 1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropane. The present invention also relates to a process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and a composition comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

A subject-matter of the invention is a process for the preparation of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propene which comprises the following stages: (i) hydrogenation of hexafluoropropylene to give 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane; (ii) dehydrofluorination of the 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane obtained in the preceding stage to give 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene; (iii) hydrogenation of the 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene obtained in the preceding stage to give 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane; and (iv) dehydrofluorination of the 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane obtained in the preceding stage to give 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propene. Stages (ii) and (iv) are carried out using a water and potassium hydroxide mixture with the potassium hydroxide representing between 58 and 86% by weight of the mixture and at a temperature of between 110 and 180° C.

A subject-matter of the invention is a process for the preparation of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propene which comprises the following stages: (i) hydrogenation of hexafluoropropylene to give 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane; (ii) dehydrofluorination of the 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane obtained in the preceding stage to give 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene; (iii) hydrogenation of the 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene obtained in the preceding stage to give 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane; and (iv) dehydrofluorination of the 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane obtained in the preceding stage to give 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propene. Stages (ii) and (iv) are carried out using a water and potassium hydroxide mixture with the potassium hydroxide representing between 58 and 86% by weight of the mixture and at a temperature of between 110 and 180° C.

A subject-matter of the invention is a process for the preparation of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propene which comprises the following stages: (i) hydrogenation of hexafluoropropylene to give 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane; (ii) dehydrofluorination of the 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane obtained in the preceding stage to give 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene; (iii) hydrogenation of the 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene obtained in the preceding stage to give 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane; and (iv) dehydrofluorination of the 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane obtained in the preceding stage to give 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propene. Stages (ii) and (iv) are carried out using a water and potassium hydroxide mixture with the potassium hydroxide representing between 58 and 86% by weight of the mixture and at a temperature of between 110 and 180° C.

Disclosed is a process for the preparation of cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene comprising contacting 1,1,1-trifluorotrichloroethane with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising ruthenium to produce a product mixture comprising 1316mxx, recovering said 1316mxx as a mixture of Z- and E-isomers, contacting said 1316mxx with hydrogen, in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of copper on carbon, nickel on carbon, copper and nickel on carbon and copper and palladium on carbon, to produce a second product mixture, comprising E- or Z-CFC-1326mxz, and subjecting said second product mixture to a separation step to provide E- or Z-1326mxz. The E- or Z-1326mxz can be dehydrochlorinated in an aqueous basic solution with an alkali metal hydroxide in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst to produce hexafluoro-2-butyne, which can then be selectively hydrogenated to produce Z-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene using either Lindlar's catalyst, or a palladium catalyst further comprising a lantanide element or silver.