Fluidized bed process for synthesizing trichlorosilane and a trichlorosilane synthesizer

A fluidized bed process for synthesizing trichlorosilane, the process comprising:

• feeding a stream of silicon particles into a heated reactor comprising at least one fluidizing zone;
• feeding a fluidizing gas upwardly through the at least one fluidizing zone to fluidize the silicon particles in the fluidizing zone and form a fluidized bed wherein the fluidizing gas comprises hydrogen chloride and can react with the silicon particles in the fluidized bed to form trichlorosilane;
• outputting from the reaction vessel gaseous product comprising trichlorosilane;
• optionally, discharging the silicon-depleted residue of the stream of silicon particles from the heated reactor;
• filtering the gaseous product to remove silicon particles from the gas stream;
• and
• returning the filtered silicon particles to the reaction vessel.

A trichlorosilane synthesizer for synthesizing trichlorosilane the trichlorosilane synthesizer comprising:

• a fluidized bed reactor;
• a solids inlet for introducing a stream of silicon particles into the reactor, the solids inlet being communicable with a supply of silicon particles;
• a plurality of fluidizing zones in the fluidized bed reactor, each of the fluidizing zones being laterally adjacent to at least one other of the fluidizing zones;
• a gas distributor extending beneath each fluidizing zone and communicating with each respective fluidizing zone to admit fluidizing gas upwardly to the fluidizing zones to contact and react with silicon particles in the fluidizing zones, generating a gaseous product, wherein the fluidizing gas comprises hydrogen chloride;
• a temperature-control system in thermal communication with the fluidized bed reactor to control the temperature of the reactor;
• at least one gas outlet located above the fluidizing zones for outputting the gaseous product from the reactor;
• and
• a solids outlet for discharging the silicon-depleted residue of the silicon particles from the reactor, the solids outlet being located downstream of the fluidizing zones;
• wherein the reactor defines a flow path for the silicon particles, the flow path extending laterally from the solids inlet through each fluidizing zone to the solids outlet.

A trichlorosilane synthesizer for synthesizing trichlorosilane, the trichlorosilane synthesizer comprising:

• a fluidized bed reactor;
• a solids inlet for introducing silicon particles into the reactor;
• a fluidizing zone located in the reactor;
• a gas distributor extending beneath the fluidizing zone and communicating with the fluidizing zone to admit fluidizing gas upwardly to the fluidizing zone to contact and react with silicon particles in the fluidizing zone, wherein the fluidizing gas comprises hydrogen chloride;
• a temperature-control system to control the temperature of the reactor;
• a gas outlet for outputting from the reactor the gaseous product of the reaction between the fluidizing gas and the silicon particles, the gaseous product comprising trichlorosilane;
• a solids outlet for discharging the silicon-depleted residue of the stream of silicon particles from the reactor;
• and
• a filtration apparatus in fluid communication with the gas outlet to remove silicon particles from the gas stream received from the gas outlet and return the filtered silicon particles to the reaction vessel.