Fluorine Gas Generating Device

Abstract

A fluorine gas generating device 100 is provided which facilitates the maintenance operation of recovery and replacement of an adsorbing material that adsorbs hydrogen fluoride and supplies fluorine gas in a stable manner. The device comprises a refining line 20 that includes refining devices that, with the aid of adsorbing material, remove hydrogen fluoride gas that has been evaporated from a molten salt of an electrolytic tank 1 and mixed to fluorine gas generated at a positive pole 103 a of the electrolytic tank. The refining line 20 comprises a first refining section 21 that includes at least two refining devices arranged in parallel and a second refining section 22 that includes at least two refining devices arranged in parallel and is positioned downstream of the first refining section 21 . Fluorine gas that has passed through either one of the refining devices of the first refining section 21 is selectively led to either one of the refining devices of the second refining section.

1 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A fluorine gas generating device for generating fluorine gas by subjecting hydrogen fluoride in a molten salt with hydrogen fluoride to electrolysis, comprising:
 an electrolytic tank that, by subjecting hydrogen fluoride in a bath of electrolytic solution including a molten salt containing hydrogen fluoride, produces at an anode side a main-product gas that contains as a main component a fluorine gas and at a cathode side a by-product gas that contains as a main component a hydrogen gas; and   a refining line including refining devices that, with the aid of an adsorbing material, remove hydrogen fluoride gas that has been evaporated from the molten salt of the electrolytic tank and mixed to the fluorine gas generated at the anode side,   the refining line comprising:   a first refining section including at least two refining devices that are arranged in parallel;   a second refining section including at least two refining devices that are arranged in parallel, the second refining section being positioned downstream of the first refining section; and   a piping through which fluorine gas that has passed through either one of the refining devices of the first refining section is led to either one of the refining devices of the second refining section.   
     
     
         11 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which each of the refining devices comprises:
 adsorbing material storing means that contains therein an adsorbing material that is able to adsorb the hydrogen fluoride in the fluorine gas generated in the electrolytic tank, the adsorbing ability of the adsorbing material varies with change of temperature;   a temperature control device that controls the temperature in the adsorbing material storing means;   a concentration detector that detects the concentration of hydrogen fluoride in the fluorine gas that is passing through the adsorbing material storing means; and   a piping through which based on results of detection by the concentration detector, operation switching is so made that the fluorine gas is led to the refining device in a standby condition in the first or second refining section, the hydrogen fluoride is discharged from the adsorbing material storing means of the refining device that has stopped in operation due to the operating switching, and the temperature in the refining device is controlled by the temperature control device thereby to cause the stopped refining device to take a standby condition.   
     
     
         12 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which in the first and second refining sections, the temperature in the adsorbing material storing means to which the fluorine gas is led is set to a range from 0° C. to 120° C., and the temperature in the adsorbing material storing means of the first refining section is set higher than the temperature in the adsorbing material storing means of the second refining section. 
     
     
         13 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which the adsorbing material storing means is equipped with an adsorbing material holding member that is arranged to define a space for securing a gas flow passage in the adsorbing material storing means. 
     
     
         14 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which the adsorbing material holding member is formed with a through bore. 
     
     
         15 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which the adsorbing material holding member is a tray-like member. 
     
     
         16 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 13 , in which the adsorbing material holding member is so arranged and shaped to define in the adsorbing material storing means a zigzag passage for the gas flow. 
     
     
         17 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which to the refining devices of the first and second refining sections, there is connected a discharge passage through which the adsorbed hydrogen fluoride is discharged and the discharged hydrogen fluoride is led into the electrolytic tank for reusing the hydrogen fluoride. 
     
     
         18 . A fluorine gas generating device as claimed in  claim 10 , in which the adsorbing material is sodium fluoride.