| abstract |
(57) Abstract: The present invention is a method for producing vinyl chloride from an ethylene-containing raw material, oxygen and a chlorine source in the presence of a catalyst. The process allows for the direct production of vinyl chloride in a single reactor system, and furthermore, recycles the ethylene from the product stream to make up the specified ethylene with respect to the feed, thereby converting ethane to C 2 It can be used as a hydrocarbon feed. The invention also relates, in another aspect, to a composition of matter useful as a catalyst for a vinyl chloride process, and to a method of making the composition. The composition is provided that the catalyst prepared from the rare earth-containing material is substantially free of iron and copper, and that when cerium is present, the catalyst further contains at least another rare earth element other than cerium. Further conditions include a rare earth-containing material. |