Formaldehyde from DCM
I remember reading someone here complain he had no access to methanol and wanted formaldehyde. Here is an abstract of an article documenting the
hydrolysis of dichloromethane.
The vapor phase catalytic hydrolysis of alkyl halides. II. The preparation of methanol, formaldehyde and benzoyl chloride from methyl chloride,
dichloromethane and benzotrichloride
A. Abkin, S. Medvedev
Zhurnal Khimicheskoi Promyshlennosti, (No. 1), 30-4 (1934)
MECl and CH2Cl2 may be hydrolyzed by passing them with steam over Sn phosphate deposited on pumice. TiO2 and mixts. of Sn and Fe phosphates are
unsatisfactory. When hydrolyzed at 460 Deg, MeCl gives 16% MeOH and 18.6% CH2O. CH2Cl2 gives 75.5% CH2O. If mixts. of MeCl and CH2Cl2 re run at 460
Deg, CH2Cl2 gives 90% CH2O and the MeCl is 30% hydrolyzed. The residual MeCl may be recirculated, in which case 3-4 cycles are required for its
complete hydrolysis, or it may be further chlorinated to CH2Cl2. The ratio of chlorides to H2O for hydrolysis should be 1:10. PhCCl3 and H2O in the
ratio 1:1 at 240 Deg give 96% BzCl.
And for the MacGyvers there is US1616533 but it seems a bit desperate.
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