Nitrogen trifluoride process

Abstract

A method for the production of nitrogen trifluoride (NF.sub.3) and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas, starting with a molten flux including at least ammonia (NH.sub.3), a metal fluoride, and hydrogen fluoride (HF), including the steps of: circulating the molten flux from an electrolyzer, to an ammonia solubilizer, to a nitrogen trifluoride reactor, to a hydrogen fluoride solubilizer, and back to the electrolyzer; maintaining the quantity of the molten flux substantially constant by adding ammonia (NH.sub.3) and a carrier gas to the ammonia solubilizer and by adding hydrogen fluoride (HF) and a carrier gas to the hydrogen fluoride solubilizer; producing fluorine (F.sub.2) gas and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas in the electrolyzer; transferring the carrier gas from at least one of the solubilizers to the nitrogen trifluoride reactor; mixing the fluorine gas and the carrier gas and supplying the mixed gases to the nitrogen trifluoride reactor; reacting the fluorine gas with the molten flux in the nitrogen trifluoride reactor to produce nitrogen trifluoride (NF.sub.3); and collecting the nitrogen trifluoride (NF.sub.3) produced at a nitrogen trifluoride condenser and collecting the hydrogen (H.sub.2) produced at a hydrogen condenser.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.