Patent ID: 7667084

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of 1,2-dichloroethane starting with a hydrocarbon source, wherein: a) the hydrocarbon source is subjected to a cracking producing a mixture of cracking products comprising ethylene and acetylene; b) the mixture of cracking products is subjected to a succession of treatments ending with drying, which provides a mixture of products comprising ethylene and other constituents; c) the mixture of products comprising ethylene and other constituents is separated into at least one fraction comprising ethylene and into a heavy fraction; d) the fraction(s) comprising the ethylene in c) is (are) conveyed to a chlorination reactor and/or an oxychlorination reactor, in which reactors most of the ethylene is converted to 1,2-dichloroethane; and e) the 1,2-dichloroethane obtained in d) is separated from products derived from the chlorination and/or oxychlorination reactors; wherein the acetylene is hydrogenated upstream of the drying in b), and/or wherein hydrogenating is performed on at least one of the fractions comprising ethylene obtained in c) before being conveyed to a chlorination reactor and/or an oxychlorination reactor in d).