Production of 1,4-dihalobutanes

1 : 4-Dihalobutanes are prepared by reacting hydrogen chloride or hydrogen bromide with tetramethylene oxide in the liquid phase at a temperature within the range of 60 DEG to 200 DEG C. in the presence of either a heterocyclic amine hydrohalide catalyst corresponding to the hydrogen halide being reacted and having a molecular structure which includes a pyridine nucleus, or a compound of the formula wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aralkyl radical, Y is an alkyl radical and X is a chlorine or bromine atom corresponding to the hydrogen halide being reacted. Examples given of amine catalysts are the hydrochlorides and hydrobromides of pyridine and quinoline and the hydrochlorides of isoquinoline, 2-methyl pyridine, 3-methyl pyridine, 2 : 5-methyl ethyl pyridine, 2-propyl pyridine, 2-ethyl-3 : 5-dimethyl pyridine, 2-methyl quinoline, and 4-methyl quinoline; hydrochlorides and hydrobromides of mono-, di- and tri-alkylamines having 1-6 carbon atoms per alkyl group such as methylethylamine, methyl diethylamine, methyl amylamine and methyl diamylamine, and amines having higher alkyl groups such as decyl and dodecyl groups or aralkyl groups such as dimethylbenzylamine hydrochloride; quaternary ammonium salts such as tetramethyl ammonium chloride, tetraethylammonium chloride and trimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and the corresponding bromides. The process may be effected in batchwise or continuous fashion and at atmospheric or higher or lower pressures. In the batchwise method, the catalyst compound may be dissolved in the form of its free base in the tetramethylene oxide and the hydrogen halide passed in; the hydrogen halide salt is first formed and then the tetramethylene oxide converted into the dihalobutane and water. In the continuous method, tetramethylene oxide and hydrogen halide are added continuously to a catalytic medium comprising the amine hydrohalide. If the melting-point of the catalyst is above the selected reaction temperature, sufficient water may be added to render the medium liquid at that temperature. Preferably, stoichiometrical proportions of reactants or excess of tetramethylene oxide are used. Catalyst concentrations of as low as 5 to 10 per cent by weight of the reaction medium may be used but preferred amounts are at least 50 to 70 per cent. In the continuous method, the products are preferably distilled off as formed in which case the reaction medium consists almost entirely of the catalyst. Unreacted