Institut National De La Recherche Scientifique

Niobec Inc.

Alain Langlais

Mario Bergeron

Mohamed Ourriban

Pierre Pelletier

A method is provided for producing GeClwith or without SiClfrom optical fibers, the method comprises the steps of: reacting comminuted optical fibers including germanium and optionally silicon oxides with a reagent including a solid carbonaceous reducing agent, chlorine and a boron compound to obtain a gaseous product including gaseous GeCl, gaseous SiCl, and gaseous BClin accordance with the reactions: 2BCl(g)+1.5GeO=1.5GeCl(g)+BO; 2BCl(g)+1.5SiO=1.5SiCl(g)+BO; BO+1.5C+3Cl=2BCl(g)+1.5CO; and then condensing the gaseous GeCl, BCland optionally SiClinto liquid GeCl, BCland optionally SiCl. The invention further provides a method for producing SiCl(and optionally GeCl) from glassy residues obtained from optical fiber manufacturing and wasted optical cables. The method includes the steps of: reacting comminuted glassy residues with a reagent including a solid carbonaceous reducing agent, a salt, a boron compound to obtain a gaseous product including SiCl, BCl, and optionally GeCl; and then condensing the gaseous SiCl4, BCl(with or without GeCl) into liquid SiCl, BCland GeCl. There is also provided a method for producing SiClfrom a SiOcontaining material.

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Alain Langlais