Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

George L Ryals

Reinaldo Mario Machado

Christopher L Hartz

James E Hollen

Rebecca J Mohr

John Frederick Cirucci

Rajiv Krishan Agarwal

Wei Cao

Robert W Apollo

Daniel McNesby

A method for generating hydride gas of metal Min electrochemical cell comprising cathode comprising metal M, sacrificial anode comprising metal M, an initial concentration of aqueous electrolyte solution comprising metal hydroxide MOH, wherein the sacrificial metal anode electrochemically oxidizes in the presence of the aqueous electrolyte solution to form metal salt, and hydride gas of metal Mis formed by reducing the metal Mof the cathode. The method also comprises steps of determining solubility profile curves of metal salt as MOH is consumed and metal oxide is formed by oxidation reaction at various concentrations of MOH; determining the maximum concentration of MOH that does not yield a concentration of metal salt that precipitates out of the electrolyte solution; and choosing a concentration of MOH that is in the range of at and within 5% less than the maximum concentration of MOH to be the initial concentration of MOH.

Method and apparatus for achieving maximum yield in the electrolytic preparation of group IV and V hydrides

A method for generating a hydride gas of metal Min an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode comprising metal M, a sacrificial anode comprising metal M, an initial concentration of aqueous electrolyte solution comprising a metal hydroxide, MOH, wherein the sacrificial metal anode electrochemically oxidizes in the presence of the aqueous electrolyte solution comprising MOH to form a metal salt, and the hydride gas of metal Mis formed by reducing the metal Mof the cathode. The method comprises the steps of determining solubility profile curves of the metal salt as the MOH is consumed and the metal oxide is formed by the oxidation reaction at various concentrations of MOH; determining a maximum concentration of MOH that, as it is consumed, does not yield a concentration of metal salt that precipitates out of the electrolyte solution; and choosing a concentration of MOH that is in the range of at and within 5% less than the maximum concentration of MOH to be the initial concentration of MOH.

Method for the purification of a volatile metal hydride comprising obtaining a volatile metal hydride feed containing one or more acidic impurities, one of which is a sulfur-containing impurity; contacting the feed with an alkaline material and reacting at least a portion of the sulfur-containing impurity with the alkaline material to remove a portion of the sulfur-containing impurity from the feed and provide an intermediate purified material, wherein the contacting of the feed with an alkaline material is effected at a sub-ambient temperature; and contacting the intermediate purified product with an adsorbent material to remove at least a portion of the sulfur-containing impurity from the intermediate purified material and provide a purified volatile metal hydride product.

Removal of sulfur-containing impurities from volatile metal hydrides

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Newton, NJ, United States of America

George L Ryals