PURIFICATION of Ticl4 TROUGH the PRODUCTION of NEW CO
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(19) TZZ _T (11) EP 2 678 276 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: C01G 23/02 (2006.01) 26.11.2014 Bulletin 2014/48 (86) International application number: (21) Application number: 12716742.7 PCT/US2012/026196 (22) Date of filing: 22.02.2012 (87) International publication number: WO 2012/116120 (30.08.2012 Gazette 2012/35) (54) PURIFICATION OF TiCL4 TROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF NEW CO-PRODUCTS REINIGUNG VON TICL4 DURCH HERSTELLUNG NEUER NEBENPRODUKTE PURIFICATION DE TiCL4 PAR LA PRODUCTION DE NOUVEAUX CO-PRODUITS (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventor: HELBERG, Lisa Edith AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB Middletown, Delaware 19709 (US) GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR (74) Representative: Towler, Philip Dean Dehns (30) Priority: 23.02.2011 US 201161445792 P St Bride’s House 23.02.2011 US 201161445801 P 10 Salisbury Square London (43) Date of publication of application: EC4Y 8JD (GB) 01.01.2014 Bulletin 2014/01 (56) References cited: (73) Proprietor: E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company US-A- 2 416 191 US-A- 4 783 324 Wilmington, Delaware 19898 (US) US-A1- 2002 179 427 Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 678 276 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 2 678 276 B1 2 Description requires a high purity level, such as gallium arsenide pro- duction. As a result, using distillation to produce a highly FIELD OF THE INVENTION concentrated AsCl3 product would reduce the yield loss of TiCl4 but would not yield a useful product. The 5 [0001] This invention relates to a process for purifying AsCl3/TiCl4 stream would need disposal in a proper man- TiCl4 produced via a chloride process. ner. Since the boiling points of AsCl3 and TiCl4 are so close, only 6 °C apart, a large amount of energy would BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION be required to produce this waste stream. [0005] Another potential method for removing AsCl3 10 [0002] Pigmentary TiO2 is commercially produced from purified TiCl 4 isto use carbonadsorption. Thismeth- through the sulfate or the chloride process. The chloride od does not work on crude TiCl 4. Carbon adsorption can process is also used to produce TiCl4 for titanium metal remove the AsCl 3 to very low levels that would be suitable production. In the chloride process, titanoferrous ore is for allapplications including cosmetics. However,the car- carbochlorinated to produce TiCl4 and a range of other bon adsorption is not selective for only AsCl 3. Many other 15 metal chlorides from the ore impurities. The crude TiCl 4 species are present in the pure TiCl4 such as the sulfur produced in the carbochlorination is processed with a gases produced from the carbochlorination, like SO2, series of physical separation steps to produce a usable COS, and CS2. These species will adsorb competitively TiCl4 product. One contaminating element found in ti- on to the carbon, limiting the capacity. As a result, this tanoferrous ore is arsenic. The chlorination of the arsenic method is not commercially viable for large scale produc- 20 species present in the ore produces AsCl 3. AsCl3 has a tion such as pigmentary TiO 2 for large markets like plas- boiling point very similar to that of TiCl 4, making removal tics and coatings. more problematic. [0006] Thus, the problem to be solved is removal of [0003] Different ores can contain significantly different AsCl3 from TiCl 4 produced via the chloride process in an levels of arsenic ranging from non-detectible to greater economical, efficient, and safe manner. than 100 ppm. Standard purification methods for the chlo- 25 ride process involve first removing solids chlorides and SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION then removing vanadium in a separate step. AsCl3 is a liquid, so it is not removed by the solids removal steps. [0007] Applicants have solved the aforementioned Known vanadium removal steps such as organic treating problems by using tin metal to remove arsenic from crude 30 agents, like plant and animal oils, soaps, fats and waxes, TiCl4 produced via the chloride process. A separate proc- do not react with AsCl 3. Another known commercial proc- ess can also be applied to partially purified TiCl4 where ess is using elemental copper to remove vanadium from some of the impurities such as vanadium are first re- crude TiCl4. Copper also shows no reactivity to AsCl3. moved using known techniques which do not remove the As a result, all of the AsCl3 that forms from chlorination arsenic. Tin metal is then reacted with the arsenic in a 35 is present in the pure TiCl 4 sent to oxidation and can end separate treatment step. up in the TiO2 product. High levels of arsenic are unde- [0008] One aspect is for a process for the purification sirable in TiO2 pigment. Pigmentary TiO2 used in FDA of crude TiCl4 comprising contacting arsenic-containing products such as cosmetics require < 1 ppm arsenic by crude TiCl4 with tin to produce purified TiCl 4, SnCl4, and the FDA method. Low levels are also desired in other solid arsenic and separating the solid arsenic from the 40 pigmentary application such as some plastics and coat- purified TiCl 4 and SnCl 4. In some aspects, the contacting ings products. Arsenic levels in TiCl4 used to produce and separating steps are performed by a two stage proc- titanium metal must also be kept low to avoid deforma- ess comprising reducing the arsenic content in the ar- tions in the final metal pieces. Typical levels for TiCl 4 for senic-containing crude TiCl4 by contacting the arsenic- titanium metal are <10 ppm arsenic. containing crude TiCl4 with a less than excess amount 45 [0004] Since AsCl3 passes through all the known va- of tin to produce partially purified TiCl 4, SnCl4, and solid nadium removal processes, such as organic treatment arsenic; separating the solid arsenic from the partially or copper metal, all the AsCl3 will end up in the purified purified TiCl 4 and SnCl 4;further reducing the arsenic con- TiCl4. If high concentrations of arsenic were present in tent in the partially purified TiCl4 by contacting the par- the ore, elevated levels of AsCl 3 will also be present. Two tially purified TiCl4 with an excess of tin to produce puri- 50 technologies are known to remove AsCl 3 from pure TiCl 4. fied TiCl4, SnCl4, solid arsenic, and excess tin; and sep- If a partial reduction of the concentration from, for exam- arating the solid arsenic and excess tin from the purified ple, 100 ppm to 10 ppm is all that is required, distillation TiCl4 and SnCl4. can be used with effective production of the desired prod- [0009] Another aspect is for a process for the purifica- uct, but a significant yield loss of TiCl4 is also required. tion of crude TiCl4 comprising contacting arsenic- and 55 Lower concentrations can also be achieved at greater vanadium-containing crude TiCl4 with tin to produce pu- penalties for energy consumption and equipment sizing. rified TiCl4, SnCl4, solid arsenic, and solid vanadium and AsCl3 has little commercial value. Arsenic is currently separating the solid arsenic and solid vanadium from the only used in a few specific applications, and each of these purified TiCl 4 and SnCl 4. In some aspects, the contacting 2 3 EP 2 678 276 B1 4 and separating steps are performed by a two stage proc- or preferred value, regardless of whether ranges are sep- ess comprising reducing the arsenic and vanadium con- arately disclosed. Where a range of numerical values is tent in the arsenic- and vanadium-containing crude TiCl 4 recited herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is in- by contacting the arsenic- and vanadium-containing tended to include the endpoints thereof, and all integers 5 crude TiCl4 with a less than excess amount of tin to pro- and fractions within the range. It is not intended that the duce partially purified TiCl 4, SnCl 4, solid arsenic, and sol- scope of the invention be limited to the specific values id vanadium; separating the solid arsenic and the solid recited when defining a range. vanadium from the partially purified TiCl 4 and SnCl 4; fur- [0014] In the production of TiCl 4 for a commercial proc- ther reducing the arsenic and vanadium content in the ess, several stages of purification may be required de- 10 partially purified TiCl4 by contacting the partially purified pending on the specifics of the process, the starting ma- TiCl4 with an excess of tin to produce purified TiCl4, terials, and the final product TiCl4 requirements. First, SnCl4, solid arsenic, solid vanadium, and excess tin; and the TiO2-bearing ore is carbochlorinated by mixing with separating the solid arsenic and the solid vanadium and a carbon source and chlorine at high temperature. Car- excess tin from the purified TiCl 4 and SnCl4. bochlorination produces a vapor stream containing most [0010] In another embodiment of this invention, crude 15 of the impurities present in the ores now converted into TiCl4 from the chloride process, containing vanadium, metal chlorides along with the TiCl4 vapor.