3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Jeffrey C Spangler

John C Smeltzer

Frank William Klink

William V Childs

Charles F Kolpin

Stephen D Polson

Anatoly A Krasilnikov

Eric N Wallace

Adda E Gandlina

Galina I Kaurova

Ludmila M Groubina

Described is a process for the electrochemical fluorination of a substrate, the process comprising the steps of: providing a substrate comprising at least one carbon-bonded hydrogen; preparing a reaction solution comprising the substrate and hydrogen fluoride; passing electric current through the reaction solution sufficient to cause replacement of one or more hydrogens of the substrate with fluorine, the electric current being interrupted through a current cycle defined by current levels comprising an elevated current and a reduced current; wherein the current varies in such a manner that the resistance of the cell operated with interrupted current is lower than the resistance of the cell operated with non-interrupted current.

Electrochemical fluorination using interrupted current

An electrochemical fluorination process comprises passing by forced convection a liquid mixture comprising anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and fluorinatable organic compound, e.g., tripropyl amine, at a temperature and pressure at which a substantially continuous liquid phase is maintained, between the electrodes of a bipolar electrode stack. The bipolar electrode stack comprises a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrodes made of an electrically-conductive material, e.g., nickel, which is essentially inert to anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and which, when used as an anode, is active for electrochemical fluorination, and the electrodes of the stack are arranged in either a series or a series-parallel electrical configuration. The bipolar electrode stack has an applied voltage difference which produces a direct current which can cause the production of fluorinated organic compound, e.g., perfluoro(tripropyl amine). An electrochemical fluorination cell which can be used for carrying out the process is also described.

Bipolar flow cell and process for electrochemical fluorination

Growing community of inventors

Eagan, MN, United States of America

Jeffrey C Spangler