The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of fluorinated compounds, to novel compounds containing fluorinated end groups, to the use thereof and to compositions comprising novel compounds containing fluorinated end groups.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of fluorinated compounds, to novel compounds containing fluorinated end groups, to the use thereof and to compositions comprising novel compounds containing fluorinated end groups.

Disclosed is a process for producing a chlorinated C3-6 alkane comprising providing a reaction mixture comprising an alkene and carbon tetrachloride in a principal alkylation zone to produce chlorinated C3-6 alkane in the reaction mixture, and extracting a portion of the reaction mixture from the principal alkylation zone, wherein:

a) the concentration of the chlorinated C3-6 alkane in the reaction mixture in the principal alkylation zone is maintained at a level such that the molar ratio of chlorinated C3-6 alkane:carbon tetrachloride in the reaction mixture extracted from the alkylation zone does not exceed 95:5 when the principal alkylation zone is in continuous operation; and/or b) the reaction mixture extracted from the principal alkylation zone additionally comprises alkene and the reaction mixture is subjected to a dealkenation step in which at least about 50% or more by weight of the alkene present in the reaction mixture is extracted therefrom and at least about 50% of the extracted alkene is fed back into the reaction mixture provided in the principal alkylation zone; and/or c) the reaction mixture present in the principal alkylation zone and extracted from the principal alkylation zone additionally comprises a catalyst, and the reaction mixture extracted from the principal alkylation zone is subjected to an aqueous treatment step in which the reaction mixture is contacted with an aqueous medium in an aqueous treatment zone, a biphasic mixture is formed and an organic phase comprising catalyst is extracted from the biphasic mixture

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, low-cost, and industrial method of producing a compound having a polyene skeleton containing hydrogen and fluorine and/or chlorine. A method of producing a halogenated diene represented by formula (1): A.sup.1A.sup.2C═CA.sup.3-CA.sup.4=CA.sup.5A.sup.6 [A.sup.1, A.sup.2, A.sup.5, and A.sup.6 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, a (perfluoro)alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a (perfluoro)alkenyl group; A.sup.3 and A.sup.4 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine, or chlorine; at least one of A.sup.1 to A.sup.6 is hydrogen; at least one of A.sup.1 to A.sup.6 is fluorine or chlorine] comprises a step of subjecting the same or different halogenated olefin(s) represented by formula (2): A.sup.7A.sup.8C═CA.sup.9X [A.sup.7 and A.sup.8 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, a (perfluoro)alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a (perfluoro)alkenyl group; A.sup.9 is each independently hydrogen, fluorine, or chlorine; X is bromine or iodine] to a coupling reaction in the presence of a zero-valent metal and a metal salt.

Disclosed is a process for producing a chlorinated C3-6 alkane comprising providing a reaction mixture comprising an alkene and carbon tetrachloride in a principal alkylation zone to produce chlorinated C3-6 alkane in the reaction mixture, and extracting a portion of the reaction mixture from the principal alkylation zone, wherein: a) the concentration of the chlorinated C3-6 alkane in the reaction mixture in the principal alkylation zone is maintained at a level such that the molar ratio of chlorinated C3-6 alkane:carbon tetrachloride in the reaction mixture extracted from the alkylation zone does not exceed 95:5 when the principal alkylation zone is in continuous operation; and/or b) the reaction mixture extracted from the principal alkylation zone additionally comprises alkene and the reaction mixture is subjected to a dealkenation step in which at least about 50% or more by weight of the alkene present in the reaction mixture is extracted therefrom and at least about 50% of the extracted alkene is fed back into the reaction mixture provided in the principal alkylation zone; and/or c) the reaction mixture present in the principal alkylation zone and extracted from the principal alkylation zone additionally comprises a catalyst, and the reaction mixture extracted from the principal alkylation zone is subjected to an aqueous treatment step in which the reaction mixture is contacted with an aqueous medium in an aqueous treatment zone, a biphasic mixture is formed and an organic phase comprising catalyst is extracted from the biphasic mixture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, low-cost, and industrial method of producing a compound having a polyene skeleton containing hydrogen and fluorine and/or chlorine.

A method of producing a halogenated diene represented by formula (1): A.sup.1A.sup.2CCA.sup.3-CA.sup.4CA.sup.5A.sup.6[A.sup.1, A.sup.2, A.sup.5, and A.sup.6 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, a (perfluoro)alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a (perfluoro)alkenyl group; A.sup.3 and A.sup.4 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine, or chlorine; at least one of A.sup.1 to A.sup.6 is hydrogen; at least one of A.sup.1 to A.sup.6 is fluorine or chlorine] comprises a step of subjecting the same or different halogenated olefin(s) represented by formula (2): A.sup.7A.sup.8CCA.sup.9X[A.sup.7 and A.sup.8 are each independently hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, a (perfluoro)alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a (perfluoro)alkenyl group; A.sup.9 is each independently hydrogen, fluorine, or chlorine; X is bromine or iodine] to a coupling reaction in the presence of a zero-valent metal and a metal salt.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of fluorinated compounds, to novel compounds containing fluorinated end groups, to the use thereof and to compositions comprising novel compounds containing fluorinated end groups.

A method for producing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (10), a compound represented by the following formula (11), a compound represented by the following formula (12), and a compound represented by the following formula (13), which the method containing reacting a compound represented by the following formula (2) with a compound represented by the following formula (7), in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (1), a compound represented by the following formula (3), a compound represented by the following formula (4), a compound represented by the following formula (8), and a compound represented by the following formula (9). ##STR00001##

A method for producing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (10), a compound represented by the following formula (11), a compound represented by the following formula (12), and a compound represented by the following formula (13), which the method containing reacting a compound represented by the following formula (2) with a compound represented by the following formula (7), in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (1), a compound represented by the following formula (3), a compound represented by the following formula (4), a compound represented by the following formula (8), and a compound represented by the following formula (9). ##STR00001##

Disclosed are processes for the production of fluorinated olefins, preferably adapted to commercialization of CF.sub.3CFCH.sub.2 (1234yf). Three steps may be used in preferred embodiments in which a feedstock such as CCl.sub.2CClCH.sub.2Cl (which may be purchased or synthesized from 1,2,3-trichloropropane) is fluorinated (preferably with HF in gas-phase in the presence of a catalyst) to synthesize a compound such as CF.sub.3CClCH.sub.2, preferably in a 80-96% selectivity. The CF.sub.3CClCH.sub.2 is preferably converted to CF.sub.3CFClCH.sub.3 (244-isomer) using a SbCl.sub.5 as the catalyst which is then transformed selectively to 1234yf, preferably in a gas-phase catalytic reaction using activated carbon as the catalyst. For the first step, a mixture of Cr.sub.2O.sub.3 and FeCl.sub.3/C is preferably used as the catalyst to achieve high selectivity to CF.sub.3CClCH.sub.2 (96%). In the second step, SbCl.sub.5/C is preferably used as the selective catalyst for transforming 1233xf to 244-isomer, CF.sub.3CFClCH.sub.3. The intermediates are preferably isolated and purified by distillation and used in the next step without further purification, preferably to a purity level of greater than about 95%.