The Deacon process was a secondary process used during the manufacture of alkalis (the initial end product was sodium carbonate) by the Leblanc process. Hydrogen chloride gas was converted to chlorine gas which was then used to manufacture a commercially valuable bleaching powder, and at the same time the emission of waste hydrochloric acid was curtailed. To some extent this technically sophisticated process superseded the earlier manganese dioxide process.
Invented by Henry Deacon in 1874. The process was based on this reaction:
- 4HCl + O2 → 2Cl2 + 2H2O
The reaction takes place at about 400 to 450 °C in the presence of a copper chloride (CuCl2) catalyst. Three companies developed commercial processes for producing chlorine based on the Deacon reaction:
- The Kel-Chlor process developed by the M.W. Kellogg Company in the United States.
- 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The Deacon process is now outdated technology. Most chlorine today is produced by using electrolytic processes.
However, recent developments with new catalysts based on Ruthenium(IV) oxide were developed by Sumitomo and the first detailed mechanistic study can be found in J. Catal. 255, 29 (2008).
Read more about Deacon Process: Leblanc-Deacon Process
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