Trimethylsilane Refining via Copper-Zinc Oxide Activated Carbon Adsorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for refining trimethylsilane using activated carbon face issues with heat generation, leading to mechanical troubles and increased impurity concentrations due to adsorption and disproportionation reactions, which are not economically viable and result in reduced yield.

Innovation Solution

Loading activated carbon with copper (II) oxide and zinc oxide to adsorb trimethylsilane, followed by contacting the impure trimethylsilane with this activated carbon to efficiently remove impurities like dimethylsilane, thereby suppressing heat generation and maintaining low impurity levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If trimethylsilane is brought into contact with activated carbon to remove impurities, then impurities are adsorbed and removed, but heat of adsorption causes mechanical troubles and disproportionation reaction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of trimethylsilaneVSAvoidheat generation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-cooling the activated carbon to 0°C or lower before contact with trimethylsilane, and maintaining the carbon temperature at 0°C or lower during the adsorption process. This preliminary temperature preparation prevents heat accumulation and disproportionation reactions, allowing effective impurity removal without the harmful thermal effects that would occur at higher temperatures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the temperature parameter of the activated carbon from ambient or elevated temperatures to 0°C or lower. This parameter change fundamentally alters the adsorption process, enabling effective impurity removal while suppressing the heat generation and disproportionation reactions that occur at higher temperatures, thus resolving the contradiction between purification effectiveness and thermal harm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If distillation operation is used to remove impurities, then impurities can be separated, but high number of stages are required and economic viability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of trimethylsilaneVSAvoidnumber of distillation stages
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical distillation system with a chemical adsorption system using activated carbon. Instead of requiring complex multi-stage distillation equipment to separate impurities based on boiling point differences, the adsorption method uses the selective affinity of activated carbon for impurity molecules, achieving high purity through a simpler, more economical single-stage process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the separation mechanism from thermal-based distillation to adsorption-based purification. By utilizing the different adsorption affinities of trimethylsilane and impurities toward activated carbon, the process achieves effective separation without requiring the high number of stages necessary for distillation, thereby reducing equipment complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If distillation is used to remove small amounts of impurities with close boiling points, then purification is achieved, but product loss increases and yield reduces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of trimethylsilaneVSAvoidyield of trimethylsilane
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the thermal distillation process with adsorption-based purification. This substitution allows for the selective removal of trace impurities with close boiling points without the energy-intensive fractional distillation required to achieve separation, thereby maintaining high yield while achieving the desired purity level.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the purification approach from thermal separation to adsorption separation. This parameter change enables effective removal of trace impurities without the significant product loss that occurs during distillation of close-boiling components, as the adsorption process is more selective and does not require heating the product to its boiling point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 method effectively reduces impurities in trimethylsilane to less than 1 volume ppm, preventing heat accumulation and maintaining high purity, thus addressing the inefficiencies and yield reduction issues in previous refining processes.

Implementation Method 1

when trimethylsilane to be refined is brought into contact with activated carbon to remove impurities

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Implementation Method 2

the activated carbon will have a high temperature by heat of adsorption

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat of adsorption: Adsorption

Implementation Method 3

there occurs disproportionation reaction of trimethylsilane

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDisproportionation reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS9073953B2Method for refining trimethylsilane
Publication Date: 2015.07.07 CENT GLASS CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a method for refining trimethylsilane, including the steps of (1) preparing an activated carbon loaded with at least copper (II) oxide and zinc oxide; (2) adsorbing a trimethylsilane onto the activated carbon; and (3) bringing a trimethylsilane containing silane, methylsilane or dimethylsilane as an impurity into contact with the activated carbon finished with the step (2) to remove the impurity from the trimethylsilane by adsorbing the impurity. According to this method, heat generation of the activated carbon is suppressed and impurities such as dimethylsilane, etc. can be removed efficiently.