Process of fluorinating inorganic compounds by direct fluorination

A process for the manufacture of a fluorinated compound by direct fluorination, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

• a) provision of a liquid medium comprising a starting compound;
• b) provision of a fluorination gas comprising elemental fluorine, wherein the fluorine is present in the fluorination gas in a concentration of at least substantially equal to or more than 20% by volume, based on the total volume of the fluorination gas as 100% by volume;
• c) provision of a reactor or reactor system, resistant to elemental fluorine and hydrogen fluoride;
• d) passing the fluorination gas of b), in a reactor or reactor system of c), through the liquid medium of a) comprising the starting compound, and wherein the reaction is carried out at a temperature of from about −30° C. to about +100° C. and a pressure of from about 1 bar absolute to about 20 bar absolute;
• e) withdrawing the fluorinated compound formed in step d) from the reactor or reactor system of c);
• f) to obtain a fluorinated compound;
• wherein the starting compound is an inorganic starting compound selected from the group consisting of hydrogen cyanide, tetrafluorohydrazine, and difluorodiazine;
• wherein the reaction in step d) is carried out in a column reactor, wherein the liquid medium of a) comprising the starting compound is circulated in a loop, while the fluorination gas of b) comprising elemental fluorine is fed into the column reactor of c) and in step d) is passed through the liquid medium to react with the starting compound;
• wherein the column reactor is equipped with at least one of the following:
• (i) at least one cooler and at least one liquid reservoir, both having an inlet and an outlet for the liquid medium of a) comprising an inorganic compound as the starting compound;
• (ii) a pump for pumping and circulating the liquid medium of a);
• (iii) one or more jets, placed at the top of the column reactor, for spraying the circulating medium of a) into the column reactor;
• (iv) one or more feeding inlets for introducing the fluorination gas of b) comprising elemental fluorine into the column reactor;
• (v) one or more sieves, placed at the bottom of the column reactor;
• and
• (vi) at least one gas outlet equipped with a pressure valve, and at least one outlet for withdrawing the fluorinated inorganic compound in step e).