Method and apparatus for the production of nitrogen trifluoride

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for producing nitrogen trifluoride. The invention involves passing a working fluid through a heat engine cycle and using the mechanical energy generated by the working fluid to produce sufficient mixing intensity within a nitrogen trifluoride reactor. The method utilizes a working fluid vapor jet, such as a hydrogen fluoride vapor jet, to impart sufficient energy to the mixing zone of a reactor in order to disperse gaseous fluorine within a liquid ammonium acid fluoride melt. A gaseous reaction product stream is removed from the reactor, the reaction product stream comprising nitrogen trifluoride and a working fluid vapor. The working fluid is then separated from the nitrogen trifluoride and recycled for reuse in the process, thereby completing a heat engine cycle.

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         25 . An apparatus for producing nitrogen trifluoride, comprising: 
 a reactor comprising a mixing zone, a reaction zone in fluid communication with said mixing zone, and a product outlet;    a gaseous fluorine feed supply in fluid connection with said mixing zone of said reactor;    a liquid ammonium acid fluoride feed supply in fluid connection with said mixing zone of said reactor;    a working fluid vapor supply in fluid connection with said mixing zone of said reactor; and    at least one nozzle operatively positioned in fluid connection with said working fluid vapor supply upstream of said mixing zone of said reactor.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein said working fluid vapor supply is a hydrogen halide vapor supply.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said working fluid vapor supply is a hydrogen fluoride vapor supply.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , further comprising a separator in fluid communication with said product outlet of said reactor and operatively positioned to separate a liquid working fluid stream from a gaseous nitrogen trifluoride stream, said separator comprising a working fluid outlet and a nitrogen trifluoride outlet.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein said working fluid vapor supply comprises: 
 a liquid working fluid supply; and    a heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet of said heat exchanger being in fluid communication with said liquid working fluid supply, said outlet being in fluid communication with said nozzle.    
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein said heat exchanger is positioned with said reactor.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein said reactor further comprises at least one internal partition defining a flow path between the mixing zone and the reaction zone within said reactor.