Page 220 - Chemical and process design handbook

Speight_Part II_C 11/7/01 3:08 PM Page 2.160

CHLORINATED SOLVENTS

Originally, successive chlorination and dehydrochlorination of acetylene
was the route to trichloroethylene (Cl C=CHCl):
2
HC≡CH + 2Cl → CHCl CHCl
2 2 2

CHCl CHCl → CHCl=CCl
2 2 2
CHCl=CCl + Cl → CH Cl =CCl
2 2 2 3
CH Cl =CCl → CCl =CCl
2 3 2 2
This route has largely been superceded by a route involving chlorination
and dehydrochlorination of ethylene or vinyl chloride and, more recently,
by a route involving oxychlorination of two-carbon (C ) raw materials.
2

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