Production of chlorine from hydrogen chloride

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING CHLORINE FROM A GASEOUS STREAM COMPRISING HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND METHYL CHLORIDE WHICH COMPRISES INTIMATELY CONTACTING SAID STREAM WITH A STREAM OF DILUTE HYDROCHLORIC ACID IN AN ABSORPTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING FROM SAID ABSORPTION ZONE A GASEOUS STREAM OF METHYL CHLORIDE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, AND A STREAM OF CONCENTRATED HYDROCHLORIC ACID CONTAINING METHYL CHLORIDE DISSOLVED THEREIN, INTRODUCING SAID CONCENTRATED HYDROCHLORIC ACID INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A STRIPPING ZONE AND A GASEOUS STREAM OF HYDROGEN AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, PRODUCED AS HEREINAFTER SET FORTH, INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE, AND THEREIN COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID STREAMS TO STRIP THE METHYL CHLORIDE FROM THE ACID AND TO ABSORB THE GASEOUS HYDROGEN CHLORIDE IN THE ACID, WITHDRAWING A GASEOUS STREAM COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND METHYL CHLORIDE FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID STRIPPING ZONE AND A STREAM OF CONCENTRATED HYDROCHLORIC ACID, SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM METHYL CHLORIDE, FROM THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF, PASSING THE LAST-MENTIONED CONCENTRATED HYDROCHLORIC ACID TO AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL AND THEREIN GENERATING A GASEOUS STREAM OF CHLORINE, A GASEOUS STREAM OF HYDROGEN CONTAMINATED WITH HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, AND DILUTE HYDROCHLORIC ACID, RECOVERING THE CHLORINE, PASSING THE HYDROGEN STREAM TO SAID STRIPPING ZONE, AND PASSING THE DILUTE HYDROCHLORIC ACID TO SAID ABSORPTION ZONE.