Trialkoxysilane Synthesis via Inert Solvent Pulverization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for synthesizing trialkoxysilane face challenges such as long induction periods, accumulation of impurities, and complexity in the synthesis process, leading to reduced productivity and increased costs, particularly due to the formation of oxide films on silicon surfaces and the need for additional purification steps.
Innovation Solution
The method involves pulverizing silicon into fine particles in a solvent environment to prevent oxide film formation, continuously feeding a suspension of silicon and alcohol to a reactor, and using a ceramic membrane filter to continuously remove impurities and supplement the solvent, ensuring consistent reaction conditions and high conversion rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If silicon is pulverized in air to form fine particles, then particle size is reduced for increased surface area, but oxide film forms on silicon surface reducing reactivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inert atmosphere by pulverizing silicon in a nitrogen-filled environment instead of air. This prevents oxygen from contacting and oxidizing the silicon surface during pulverization, thereby eliminating oxide film formation while still achieving fine particle size reduction for increased surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-pulverizing silicon into fine particles in an inert atmosphere before introducing it to the reaction system. This preliminary particle size reduction increases surface area and reactivity without allowing oxide film formation, as the pulverization occurs in nitrogen rather than air.
2Temperature
If additional inert gas is added to dilute alcohol vapor in fluidized bed, then temperature peak is prevented, but production cost increases and trialkoxysilane loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful inert gas from the system by conducting the reaction in a closed system without adding external inert gases. Instead of using inert gas dilution to control temperature, the patent uses a solvent-based liquid-phase reaction system that inherently controls temperature without requiring additional gases, thereby eliminating carryover losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a solvent as an intermediary medium to control reaction temperature. The solvent acts as a heat transfer medium, allowing temperature control without requiring inert gas dilution. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for additional inert gases while maintaining temperature control effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If reaction is carried out under low pressure to improve synthesis indices, then conversion rate and selectivity increase, but reaction rate decreases and productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter from gas-phase to liquid-phase reaction by introducing a solvent. This parameter change allows the reaction to proceed at lower pressures with improved conversion and selectivity, while the liquid phase maintains adequate reaction rates through enhanced molecular mobility and heat transfer characteristics of the solvent system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a solvent as an intermediary to mediate between pressure and reaction rate relationships. The solvent enables the reaction to proceed efficiently at lower pressures by providing an alternative reaction medium that maintains molecular interaction frequencies and energy transfer without requiring high pressure, thus decoupling the pressure-rate relationship.
4Reliability
If induction period is long due to oxide film on silicon surface, then reaction activation is delayed, but adding activation step increases process complexity and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-pulverizing silicon in an inert atmosphere before the reaction, which prevents oxide film formation during preparation. This eliminates the need for separate activation steps during the reaction process, as the silicon surface remains clean and reactive from the outset, thereby reducing overall process complexity while ensuring reliable reaction activation.
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
This approach significantly shortens the induction period, simplifies the synthesis process, maintains high conversion rates, and enables continuous production of trialkoxysilane, thereby maximizing productivity and economic efficiency by preventing oxide film formation and continuously removing impurities.
Implementation Method 1
removing impurities accumulated in a reactor in a manner of continuously bleeding a solvent using a ceramic membrane filter
Implementation Method 2
pulverizing silicon into fine particles in a solvent environment to prevent oxide film formation
Implementation Method 3
the temperature of reaction mixture may be uniformly maintained to greatly reduce the possibility of overheating reaction environment
Implementation Method 4
in case of using a solvent, the temperature of reaction mixture may be uniformly maintained
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for preparing SiH(OR3)-type trialkoxysilane (wherein, R is a C1-C3 methyl, ethyl, propyl or isopropyl group), and more specifically, the method comprises the steps of: preventing the oxidation of a silicon surface by pulverizing raw silicon material in a solvent environment without contact with the air so that the initial induction period of the direct synthesis of trialkoxysilane is dramatically reduced; and removing impurities from a reaction environment by continuously selecting a part of the solvent through a membrane filter provided in a reactor body.