Stephen Ferro:
The reaction you asked about is known as the Deacon reaction:
4HCl + O
2 ==> 2Cl
2 + 2H
2O
The reaction takes place at about 400 to 450 °C in the presence of a copper chloride (CuCl
2) catalyst. Three companies developed commercial processes based on the Deacon reaction:
- The Kel-Chlor process developed by the M.W. Kellogg Company in the USA
- The Shell-Chlor process developed by the Shell Oil Company in the Netherlands
- The MT-Chlor process developed by the Mitsui Toatsu Company in Japan
The Deacon processes are outdated technology. Most chlorine today is produced using electrolytic processes.