US Patent 9492816 Dehydrofluorination of pentafluoroalkanes to form tetrafluoroolefins

A method for producing a tetrafluoroolefin, such as 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf), comprises dehydrofluorinating a pentafluoroalkane in a gas phase in the presence of a catalyst comprising chromium oxyfluoride. In a preferred embodiment, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf) is produced by forming a catalyst comprising chromium oxyfluoride by calcining CrF3?xH2O, where x is 1-10, in the presence of a flowing gas comprising nitrogen to form a calcined chromium oxyfluoride, and dehydrofluorinating 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245cb) in a gas phase in the presence of the catalyst to form the 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf).