| abstract |
Chloroacetic acids and essentially pure hydrochloric acid are prepared by chlorinating acetic acid in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of acetic anhydride, acetyl chloride, or admixture thereof, whereby byproducing a gaseous stream of crude hydrochloric acid, contacting such gaseous stream with active charcoal to remove the chlorine values therefrom, separating (i) pure hydrochloric acid and (ii) remaining products from the gaseous stream thus purified, and recycling such remaining products (ii) to the medium of chlorination. |