Fluorination process and catalyst

TLDR: A gallium-fluorine compound is prepared by treating with HF at least one gallium compound selected from a salt of an inorganic or carboxylic acid (such as GaCl3 or GaF3), an oxide or an organometallic derivative such as an alkyl- or chloroalkyl-gallium.

Abstract: A gallium-fluorine compound is prepared by treating with HF at least one gallium compound selected from a salt of an inorganic or carboxylic acid (such as GaCl3 or GaF3), an oxide or an organometallic derivative such as an alkyl- or chloroalkyl-gallium. ALSO:Another halogen in a halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon is replaced by fluorine by treating the halohydrocarbon with HF in the presence of a catalyst containing at least one gallium-fluorine compound, e.g. one prepared by treating with HF one or more gallium compounds selected from a salt of an inorganic or carboxylic acid, (such as GaCl3 or GaF3), an oxide or an organometallic derivative such as an alkyl- or chloroalkyl-gallium. The halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon may be a derivative of methane, ethane, ethylene or propane. The reaction temperature is preferably 175-450 DEG C. The catalyst may be supported. In examples, CCl4 gives CCl2F2 and CCl3F; CHCl3 gives CHF3, CHClF2 and CHCl2F; and perchloroethylene gives trifluorotrichloro- and tetrafluorodichloroethane.ALSO:Catalysts containing a gallium-fluorine compound for use in a hydrofluorination reaction (see Division C2) are prepared by treating with HF at least one gallium compound selected from a salt of an inorganic or carboxylic acid (such as GaCl3 or GaF3), an oxide or an organometallic derivative such as an alkyl- or chloroalkyl-gallium; the active material may be supported, e.g. on activated alumina or activated charcoal. The support may be impregnated with a gallium compound by treatment with an aqueous or organic solution of a gallium salt having volatile anions, or with an organo-germanium compound, and then treated with HF, e.g. at 150-250 DEG C. In preferred embodiments activated charcoal is heated with HF, impregnated with a gallium halide in an aliphatic halohydrocarbon, e.g. GaCl3 in CCl4, and again heated with HF vapour; or alumina is similarly impregnated and treated with HF.