A method of chlorinating a antimony fluorohalide catalyst is disclosed. In one embodiment the method comprises contacting an antimony fluorohalide catalyst that contains one or more fluorines with a regenerating agent chosen from 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (1233xf), 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropane (250fb), 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropane (HCFC-244bb) and combinations of 1233xf, 250fb, and 244bb, under conditions effective to exchange at least one fluorine in the antimony fluorohalide catalyst with chlorine. The method can be used to regenerate spent antimony fluorohalide catalyst, for example regenerating SbCl.sub.5 from SbF.sub.5.

A process for the fluorination of a chlorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one chlorine atom into a fluorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one fluorine atom includes the following steps: a) contacting, in a reactor, the chlorinated compound with hydrogen fluoride in gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst to produce a fluorinated compound, and b) regenerating the fluorination catalyst used in step a). The step (b) of regenerating the fluorination catalyst comprises (c) the treatment of said fluorination catalyst with an oxidizing agent-containing gas flow to form an oxidized fluorination catalyst, and (d) the treatment of the oxidized fluorination catalyst obtained in step (c) with a gaseous mixture comprising a reducing agent and an inert gas. The catalyst regenerated in step b) is reused in step a) and the reducing agent is selected from C.sub.1-C.sub.10 hydrohalocarbons.

A process for the fluorination of a chlorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one chlorine atom into a fluorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one fluorine atom includes the following steps: a) contacting, in a reactor, the chlorinated compound with hydrogen fluoride in gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst to produce a fluorinated compound, and b) regenerating the fluorination catalyst used in step a). The step (b) of regenerating the fluorination catalyst comprises (c) the treatment of said fluorination catalyst with an oxidizing agent-containing gas flow to form an oxidized fluorination catalyst, and (d) the treatment of the oxidized fluorination catalyst obtained in step (c) with a gaseous mixture comprising a reducing agent and an inert gas. The catalyst regenerated in step b) is reused in step a) and the reducing agent is selected from C.sub.1-C.sub.10 hydrohalocarbons.

The present invention provides an integrated process for preparing 2,3,3, 3-tetrafluoropropene (1234yf), the process comprising: (a) vapour phase catalytic fluorination of a first composition comprising 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-chloro-prop-1-ene (CF3CCNCH2, 1233xf) with hydrogen fluoride (HF) in a fluorination reactor to produce a fluorination product stream comprising 1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (245cb), HF and HCI; (b) vapour phase catalytic dehydrofluorination composition comprising 245cb in a dehydrofluorination reactor to produce a dehydrofluorination product stream comprising 1234yf and HF; wherein the fluorination product stream and the dehydrofluorination product stream are combined and subjected to (c) purification to produce a composition comprising 245cb and a 1234yf product stream.

The present invention provides an integrated process for preparing 2,3,3, 3-tetrafluoropropene (1234yf), the process comprising: (a) vapour phase catalytic fluorination of a first composition comprising 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-chloro-prop-1-ene (CF3CCNCH2, 1233xl) with hydrogen fluoride (HF) in a fluorination reactor to produce a fluorination product stream comprising 1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (245cb), HF and HCI; (b) vapour phase catalytic dehydrofluorination composition comprising 245cb in a dehydrofluorination reactor to produce a dehydrofluorination product stream comprising 1234yf and HF; wherein the fluorination product stream and the dehydrofluorination product stream are combined and subjected to (c) purification to produce a composition comprising 245cb and a 1234yf product stream.

A process for the fluorination of a chlorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one chlorine atom into a fluorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one fluorine atom includes the following steps: a) contacting, in a reactor, the chlorinated compound with hydrogen fluoride in gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst to produce a fluorinated compound, and b) regenerating the fluorination catalyst used in step a). The step (b) of regenerating the fluorination catalyst comprises (c) the treatment of said fluorination catalyst with an oxidizing agent-containing gas flow to form an oxidized fluorination catalyst, and (d) the treatment of the oxidized fluorination catalyst obtained in step (c) with a gaseous mixture comprising a reducing agent and an inert gas. The catalyst regenerated in step b) is reused in step a) and the reducing agent is selected from C.sub.1-C.sub.10 hydrohalocarbons.

A process for the fluorination of a chlorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one chlorine atom into a fluorinated C3 alkane or alkene compound having at least one fluorine atom includes the following steps: a) contacting, in a reactor, the chlorinated compound with hydrogen fluoride in gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst to produce a fluorinated compound, and b) regenerating the fluorination catalyst used in step a). The step (b) of regenerating the fluorination catalyst comprises (c) the treatment of said fluorination catalyst with an oxidizing agent-containing gas flow to form an oxidized fluorination catalyst, and (d) the treatment of the oxidized fluorination catalyst obtained in step (c) with a gaseous mixture comprising a reducing agent and an inert gas. The catalyst regenerated in step b) is reused in step a) and the reducing agent is selected from C.sub.1-C.sub.10 hydrohalocarbons.

The present invention relates to a method for fluorinating a chlorinated compound including the steps of (a) placing said chlorinated compound in contact with gaseous hydrogen fluoride within a reactor and in the presence of a fluorination catalyst to produce a fluorinated compound, and (b) regenerating the fluorination catalyst used in step a), the step of regenerating the fluorination catalyst including (c) treating said fluorination catalyst with an oxidizing agent to form an oxidized fluorination catalyst, and (d) treating the oxidized fluorination catalyst obtained in step (c) with a gas mixture including a reducing agent.

The present invention relates to a method for fluorinating a chlorinated compound including the steps of (a) placing said chlorinated compound in contact with gaseous hydrogen fluoride within a reactor and in the presence of a fluorination catalyst to produce a fluorinated compound, and (b) regenerating the fluorination catalyst used in step a), the step of regenerating the fluorination catalyst including (c) treating said fluorination catalyst with an oxidizing agent to form an oxidized fluorination catalyst, and (d) treating the oxidized fluorination catalyst obtained in step (c) with a gas mixture including a reducing agent.

Methods for regenerating a spent catalyst are disclosed. Such methods may employ a step of chlorinating the spent catalyst in the gas phase, followed by decoking the chlorinated spent catalyst, and then fluorinating the de-coked catalyst in a fluorine-containing solution of a fluorine-containing compound.