Hydrochlorination
Hydrochlorination technology
Hydrochlorination involves adding hydrogen chloride across the multiple bond of an unsaturated hydrocarbon.
Johnson Matthey's DAVY™ hydrochlorination technology focuses on alkyne (triple-bonded) reactants. This exothermic process yields a chlorinated alkene.
DAVY hydrochlorination technology forms the core of our vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) licensed process.
To make VCM, we react the alkyne acetylene with hydrogen chloride. Facilitating this reaction is our PRICAT™ MFC (mercury-free catalyst).
PRICAT MFC is strongly selective towards VCM formation and underpins the high product purity of the DAVY licensed process.
In addition, PRICAT MFC makes DAVY hydrochlorination the only mercury-free technology of its kind currently offered for license.
As such it is the only process ready for the expected complete ban on mercury catalysts for plants started up after 2016 (as per the 2013 Minamata Convention between 150 countries including China).
