Process for methylating silicon compounds

Abstract

A process for methylating silicon compounds containing halogen and at least 2 silicon atoms and optionally carbon and hydrogen atoms as the only atoms in the molecule, which comprises reacting a silicon compound containing halogen and at least two silicon atoms per molecule, such as hexachlorodisilane or 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro-1,2-dimethyldisilane or mixtures of such silanes with tetramethylsilane in the presence of at least one organoaluminum compound having the general formula R.sub.a AlY.sub.3-a' where R represents the same or different alkyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, Y represents halogen, hydrogen or hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms which are bonded to the aluminum atom via oxygen and which are free of aliphatic multiple bonds, and a is 1, 2 or 3, or an in situ formed compound obtained from the reaction of such aluminum compound, with at least one other reactant present in the reaction mixture, at least one silane of the general formula R.sub.b.sup.1 H.sub.c SiCl.sub.4-b-c and hydrogen halide, where R.sup.1 represents the same or different hydrocarbon radicals which are free of aliphatic multiple bonds and have from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, b is 0, 1, 2 or 3, and c is 1, 2 or 3, with the proviso that the sum of b+c may not exceed 4.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.