Column and process for disproportionation of chlorosilanes into monosilane and tetrachlorosilane and plant for production of monosilane

A column for continuous disproportionation of chlorosilanes into monosilane and tetrachlorosilane coupled with simultaneous rectificative separation of the silanes obtained comprising:

• a column head, a column sump and a tube-shaped column shell disposed therebetween,
• within the column shell and along the column axis, two or more reaction zones lying above each other which each accommodate a catalyst bed, in which catalyst beds chlorosilanes disproportionate into low-boiling silanes, which form an ascending stream of gas within the column, and also into (comparatively) high-boiling silanes which (after condensation) form a downwardly directed stream of liquid within the column,
• within the column shell and along the column axis, two or more separation zones serving the purpose of rectificative separation,
• the reaction zones and the separation zones alternate along the column axis,
• the separation zones are configured such that the stream of gas and the stream of liquid meet in the separation zones, and
• the reaction zones are configured such that the downwardly directed stream of liquid is led through the catalyst beds, whereas the upwardly directed stream of gas passes the catalyst beds in spatial separation from the stream of liquid.