PROCESS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY PREPARING CHLOROFORM AND FORMIC ACID SALT Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: manufacture of chloroform used as raw material in production of fluorochlorohydrocarbons and manufacture of sodium formate used as conservant for coarse feeds in agriculture. SUBSTANCE: industrial chloral is treated with aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide in the presence of active chlorine, the latter is aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide treated with chlorine at 20-40 C or aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite. Excess of active chlorine 15% in stoichiometric amount with respect to duchloroacetatdehyde present in organic stock is essential to convert dichloroacetatdehyde and chloral to desired products. The lower layer (chloroform) is separated by settling. Commercial sodium formate is isolated from upper layer by evaporation and drying at 100-160 C. EFFECT: more efficient preparation process. 6 cl