Process and apparatus for producing anhydrous aluminum chloride

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ANHYDROUS ALUMINUM CHLORIDE BY REACTING METALLIC ALUMINUM AND GASEOUS CHLORINE, COMPRISING REACTING IN A REACTION CHAMBER HAVING COOLED WALLS AND COOLED BOTTOM PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL CONTAINING METALLIC ALUMINUM PLACED ON A SUPPORT WHICH IS PLACED AT A DISTANCE ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER AND IS PROVIDED WITH PERFORATIONS, WITH GASEOUS CHLORINE INTRODUCED BELOW SAID SUPPORT AND DIRECTED DOWNWARD AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE REACTION CHAMBER, AND FROM BELOW THROUGH SAID SUPPORT TO SAID MATERIAL, AT TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE OF 200-400*C. AND INTRODUCING ALCL3 VAPOR FORMED BY SAID REACTION INTO THE CENTRAL ZONE OF A COOLED EMPTY SPACE WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE REACTION CHAMBER BUT CONNECTED WITH IT BY A CHANNEL FILLED WITH ALUMINUM IN THE FORM OF SLUGS, STRIPS AND THE LIKE, SAID EMPTY SPACE RECEIVING SAID ALCL3 VAPOR AND BEING LIMITED BY A COOLED CONDENSING CHAMBER WITHIN WHICH THE ALCL3 VAPOR IS CONVERTED BY COOLING INTO CRYSTALS; ALLOWING SAID CRYSTALS TO FALLY BY GRAVITY INTO A CONTAINER CONNECTED WITH SAID CONDENSING CHAMBER; SUBSTANTIAL MELTING OF THE PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL BY EXCESSIVE REACTION HEAT IN THE REACTION CHAMBER BEING PREVENTED BY BY FALLING OF ANY MOLTEN MATERIAL CONTAINING METALLIC ALUMINUM FORMED IN THE REACTION CHAMBER TO FLOW DOWNWARD TO THE BOTTOM OF THE REACTION CHAMBER AND REACT WITH FRESH CHLORINE FEED AND COOLING THE WALLS AND THE BOTTOM OF THE REACTION CHAMBER BY COOLING MEANS APPLIED TO THE OUTER SURFACES, IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE REACTION TEMPERATURE OF THE MATERIAL ON SAID SUPPORT.