Preparation of silane from amine alanes

Claim 2

A process for the coproduction of silane and aluminum trifluoride, said process comprising reacting a tertiary amine-aluminum trihydride complex with silicon tetrafluoride.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said amine is a triloweralkylamine.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 wherein said triloweralkylmine is trimethylamine.

Claim 5

The process of claim 2 wherein said triloweralkylamine is triethylamine.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said amine is 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein said amine is N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction is carried out in a liquid inert reaction medium.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly a hydrocarbon.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly an aromatic hydrocarbon.

Claim 11

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly toluene.

Claim 12

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly an ether.

Claim 13

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly a tertiary amine.

Claim 14

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly triethylamine.

Claim 15

The process of claim 7 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine.

Claim 16

The process of claim 1 wherein the aluminum trifluoride coproduct comprises aluminum trifluoride-tertiary amine complex and at least a portion of said coproduct is heated to an elevated temperature sufficient to liberate tertiary amine from said complex.

Claim 17

The process of claim 15 further comprising separating the liberated tertiary amine from the heated coproduct.

Claim 18

The process of claim 16 further comprising recovering the separated amine.

Claim 19

The process of claim 15 wherein the elevated temperature is in the range of about 250° to about 350° C.

Claim 20

The process of claim 15 wherein the coproduct is heated under reduced pressure.

Claim 21

The process of claim 15 wherein the coproduct is heated under a sweep of inert gas.

Claim 22

The process of claim 1 carried out at a temperature in the range of about 5° to about 80° C.

Claim 23

A process for the coproduction of silane and amine-free aluminum trifluoride, said process comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an inert reaction medium (i) aluminum trihydride complexed with a tertiary amine and (ii) silicon tetrafluoride so that gaseous silane and aluminum trifluoride coproduct are produced; (2) recovering the gaseous silane; and (3) freeing and removing tertiary amine from the aluminum trifluoride coproduct.

Claim 24

A process for the coproduction of silane and amine-free aluminum trifluoride, said process comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an inert reaction medium (i) aluminum trihydride complexed with a tertiary amine and (ii) silicon tetrafluoride so that gaseous silane and aluminum trifluoride coproduct are produced; (2) recovering the gaseous silane; and (3) freeing and removing tertiary amine from the aluminum trifluoride coproduct.

Claim 25

The process of claim 22 wherein the tertiary amine is freed and removed from the aluminum fluoride coproduct by heating the aluminum fluoride coproduct to an elevated temperature sufficient to release the amine from the complex, said heating being conducted under a sweep of inert gas or at reduced pressure to facilitate removal of the released amine from the aluminum fluoride.

Claim 26

The process of claim 22 wherein said amine is a triloweralkylamine.

Claim 27

The process of claim 22 wherein said amine is triethylamine.

Claim 28

The process of claim 22 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly an aromatic hydrocarbon.

Claim 29

The process of claim 22 wherein said reaction medium is predominantly toluene.

Claim 30

A process for the coproduction of silane and amine-free aluminum trifluoride, said process comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an inert reaction medium comprising predominantly aromatic hydrocarbon (i) aluminum trihydride complexed with a tertiary amine and (ii) silicon tetrafluoride so that gaseous silane and aluminum trifluoride coproduct are produced; (2) recovering the gaseous silane; (3) recovering inert reaction medium and uncomplexed tertiary amine from the reaction mixture thereby leaving a mixture of solids composed predominantly of uncomplexed aluminum trifluoride and aluminum trifluoride complexed with tertiary amine; (4) heating the mixture of solids at an elevated temperature sufficient to free tertiary amine from aluminum trifluoride-tertiary amine complex; and (5) recovering the freed tertiary amine.

Claim 31

A process for the coproduction of silane and amine-free aluminum trifluoride, said process comprising the steps of: (1) reacting in an inert reaction medium comprising predominantly aromatic hydrocarbon (i) aluminum trihydride complexed with a tertiary amine and (ii) silicon tetrafluoride so that gaseous silane and aluminum trifluoride coproduct are produced; (2) recovering the gaseous silane; (3) recovering inert reaction medium and uncomplexed tertiary amine from the reaction mixture thereby leaving a mixture of solids composed predominantly of uncomplexed aluminum trifluoride and aluminum trifluoride complexed with tertiary amine; (4) heating the mixture of solids at an elevated temperature sufficient to free tertiary amine from aluminum trifluoride-tertiary amine complex; and (5) recovering the freed tertiary amine.

Claim 32

The process of claim 28 wherein said aromatic hydrocarbon is predominantly toluene.

Claim 33

The process of claim 28 wherein said tertiary amine is vaporized at the temperature and pressure conditions employed in step (4).