# US 2013/0156676 A1 · Method for Preparing a Trihalosilane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156676 A1 - Document ID: US20130156676A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/809,263 - Filed: 2011-08-25 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-08 - Assignees: Dow Corning Corporation - Inventors: Dimitris Katsoulis; Robert Thomas Larsen; Matthew J. McLaughlin; Wendy Sparschu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156676A1 ## CPC - C01B 33/1071: {Tetrachloride, trichlorosilane or silicochloroform, dichlorosilane, monochlorosilane or mixtures thereof} - B01J 23/8926: {Copper and noble metals} - B01J 23/8946: {with alkali or alkaline earth metals} - C01B 33/08: Compounds containing halogen - C01B 33/10: Compounds containing silicon, fluorine, and other elements - C01B 33/107: Halogenated silanes - B01J 21/18: Carbon - B01J 23/72: Copper - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract A method of preparing a trihalosilane comprising the separate and consecutive steps of (i) contacting a copper catalyst with hydrogen gas and a silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to form a silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) of silicon, wherein the copper catalyst comprises a metal selected from copper and a mixture comprising copper and at least one element selected from gold, magnesium, and platinum; and (ii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with a hydrogen halide at a temperature of from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of preparing a trihalosilane, the method comprising the following separate and consecutive steps: (i) contacting a copper catalyst with hydrogen gas and a silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to form a silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) of silicon, wherein the copper catalyst comprises a metal selected from copper and a mixture comprising copper and at least one element selected from gold, magnesium, and platinum; and (ii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with a hydrogen halide at from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising (iii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst contacted with the hydrogen halide in step (ii) with the hydrogen gas and the silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to reform the silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) silicon; and (iv) contacting the reformed silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide at a temperature of from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising repeating steps (iii) and (iv) at least 1 time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising purging prior to the contacting of the reformed silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide in step (iv). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the purging is conducted with argon or silicon tetrachloride. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising purging prior to contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide in step (ii). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the purging is conducted with argon or silicon tetrachloride. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the copper catalyst further comprises a support. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the copper catalyst comprises from 0.1 to 35% (w/w) of the mixture and the mixture comprises copper, gold and magnesium. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the support is activated carbon. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing copper catalyst comprises from 1 to 5% (w/w) of silicon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the mole ratio of hydrogen to silicon tetrahalide in step (i) is from 20:1 to 5:1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein step (ii) is conducted in the presence of hydrogen. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the trihalosilane has the formula HSiX3, where X is fluoro, chloro, bromo, or iodo. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen halide is HCl, the silicon tetrahalide is SiCl4, and the trihalosilane is HSiCl3. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising recovering the trihalosilane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein residence time of the hydrogen and silicon tetrahalide is from 1 to 10 s and residence time of the hydrogen halide is from 1 to 10 s. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the contacting in step (ii) is conducted at a pressure from 7 to 1000 kPag. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein step (i) is conducted at a pressure from 7 to 1000 kPag. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: using the trihalosilane to produce polysilicon and/or polysiloxanes.