Patent ID: 7112708

Claim:
A process for the production of at least one hydrofluorocarbon selected from the group consisting of difluoromethane (HFC-32), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a) and 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a), the process comprising: (a) providing a reaction vessel, (b) providing in the reaction vessel activated carbon impregnated with a strong Lewis acid fluorination catalyst wherein the strong Lewis acid catalyst is selected from the group consisting of halides of As, Sb, Al, Tl, In, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr and Hf, (c) activating the catalyst by passing through the activated carbon impregnated with a strong Lewis acid fluorination catalyst anhydrous hydrogen fluoride gas and chlorine gas, (d) contacting, in a vapor state in the reaction vessel containing the activated catalyst, hydrogen fluoride and one or more halogenated hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of chlorofluoromethane, dichloromethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, vinyl chloride, 1,1-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloroethane, and 1,1-dichloroethane for a time and at a temperature to produce a product stream comprising hydrofluorocarbon product(s) corresponding to the chlorinated hydrocarbon reactant(s), and one or more of hydrogen chloride, unreactacted chlorinated hydrocarbon reactant(s), under-fluorinated intermediates, and unreacted hydrogen fluoride, and (e) separating the hydrofluorocarbon product(s) from the product stream.