Bromine Pentafluoride Production with Controlled F/Br Ratios

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing bromine pentafluoride result in a significant amount of unreacted fluorine gas, necessitating costly recovery or abatement processes, and do not produce high-purity bromine pentafluoride efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a controlled reaction of a bromine-containing compound with fluorine gas at a specific molar ratio (F/Br of 3.0 to 4.7) and using an inert gas dilution, along with a separation step to produce bromine pentafluoride and bromine trifluoride, minimizing unreacted fluorine gas and enhancing purity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If an excess amount of fluorine gas is fed to the reaction system to ensure complete reaction, then the production efficiency of bromine pentafluoride is improved, but a large amount of unreacted fluorine gas remains requiring costly recovery or abatement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiency of bromine pentafluorideVSAvoidunreacted fluorine gas requiring recovery or abatement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the molar ratio of fluorine to bromine (F/Br = 3.0-4.7) and adjusting reaction conditions (temperature: 100-400°C, pressure: 0.1-0.5 MPa) to optimize reaction completeness while minimizing excess fluorine. This resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal parameter range that achieves high productivity without generating excessive unreacted fluorine gas requiring recovery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback control by monitoring the reaction mixture composition and using this information to adjust the fluorine gas flow rate and reaction conditions in real-time. This ensures the F/Br ratio remains within the optimal range of 3.0-4.7, preventing both insufficient reaction and excessive unreacted fluorine accumulation, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and substance loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If a high concentration of fluorine gas is used to maximize bromine pentafluoride production, then the reaction efficiency is improved, but the purity of the produced bromine pentafluoride decreases due to residual fluorine gas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereaction efficiencyVSAvoidpurity of bromine pentafluoride
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the reaction process into distinct stages with controlled F/Br ratios at different phases. The reaction is conducted in a two-stage process: first stage with F/Br = 3.0-4.0 to form bromine pentafluoride, second stage with adjusted conditions to remove residual fluorine. This segmentation allows high productivity while maintaining high purity by addressing different purification needs at different process stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a separation step with a separation agent that selectively removes residual fluorine gas from the reaction mixture. This intermediary separation process enables the system to achieve both high reaction efficiency (with higher F/Br ratios) and high product purity, as the separation agent mediates between the conflicting requirements of high concentration production and high purity output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the reaction is performed with a high F/Br molar ratio to ensure complete fluorine conversion, then the productivity is improved, but the residual fluorine gas increases requiring additional treatment steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluorine conversion rateVSAvoidpost-reaction treatment process
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by establishing an optimal F/Br molar ratio range of 3.0-4.7 that balances fluorine conversion efficiency with minimal residual fluorine. By adjusting this critical parameter, the system achieves high productivity without generating excessive residual fluorine that would require complex additional treatment, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a simplified treatment approach by employing a separation agent that mimics the selectivity of ideal separation processes. This copying of separation functionality allows the system to handle residual fluorine efficiently without requiring complex multi-stage treatment equipment, thus maintaining high productivity while avoiding excessive device complexity in the post-reaction treatment process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method effectively reduces the residual fluorine gas and produces high-purity bromine pentafluoride, simplifying post-reaction treatment and improving productivity.

Implementation Method 1

reacting the bromine-containing compound and the fluorine gas to each other to obtain a reaction mixture containing bromine pentafluoride and bromine trifluoride

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

an inert gas is fed to the reactor along with the bromine-containing compound and the fluorine gas to perform the reaction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas dilution:

Implementation Method 3

the reaction is performed by placing at least one of an oxide of a metal and a fluoride of a metal as a catalyst in the reactor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Implementation Method 4

a cooling step of cooling and separating the reaction mixture into a gas component containing bromine pentafluoride and a liquid-solid component containing bromine trifluoride

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCooling and phase separation: Cooling

Implementation Method 5

an adsorption step of bringing the gas component containing bromine pentafluoride obtained by the cooling step into contact with an adsorbent and allowing bromine trifluoride mixed in the gas component containing bromine pentafluoride to be adsorbed by the adsorbent

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentUS12391550B2Method for producing bromine pentafluoride
Publication Date: 2025.08.19 RESONAC CORP
  • US12391550B2 patent drawing

AI summary

There is provided a method for producing high-purity bromine pentafluoride while leaving a less amount of an unreacted fluorine gas. The method for producing bromine pentafluoride includes a reaction step of feeding a bromine-containing compound, which is at least one of a bromine gas and bromine trifluoride, and a fluorine gas to a reactor to give a (fluorine atom):(bromine atom) molar ratio, that is, F/Br of 3.0 or more and 4.7 or less and reacting the bromine-containing compound and the fluorine gas to each other to obtain a reaction mixture containing bromine pentafluoride and bromine trifluoride; and a separation step of separating bromine pentafluoride and bromine trifluoride in the reaction mixture from each other.