Skip to main content
Log in

Reaction of SiF4 with Al Metal

  • Published:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions E

Abstract

The reaction of SiF4 gas with aluminum (Al) was studied at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 1723 K (1450 °C). Although thermochemical estimates indicate that reactions throughout the temperature range should be thermodynamically favorable, we found that no reaction takes place appreciably until Al is heated to around 1473 K (1200 °C). The reaction products consist of fine powders of Si, Al, and AlF3. Some of the reaction products were transported away from the reaction zone by strong convection currents resulting from the exothermic reaction. Even at approximately 1673 K (1400 °C), the reaction rate is slow and a significant amount of Al remains unreacted. When NaF powders were used to line the graphite reactor, NaAlF4, AlF3, and Si powders were observed on the upper cooler walls of the reactor, and Si whiskers were formed just above the Al-Si alloy globule on the bottom of the crucible. We found evidence of the formation of AlF and SiF2 vapor species in the reaction zone, which then disproportionated along the cooler walls of the reactor, generating powders of Al and Si and regenerating condensable AlF3 and SiF4 gas, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M.A. Hunter, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 32, 330–36 (1910)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. A. W. J. Kroll: US Patent 2,205,854, 1940

  3. W.J. Kroll, Trans. Electrochem. Soc. 112, 35–47 (1940)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. K. I. Joseph: US Patent 2,909,411 A, 1957

  5. J. M. Blocher Jr., M. F. Browning, W. J. Wilson, and D. C. Carmichael: 2nd Quarterly Progress Report for JPL under JPL Contract 954339, 1976

  6. J. H. Francis, D. F. Ciliberti, T. N. Meyer, and M. G. Fey: US Patent 4,239,740 A, 1979

  7. P. Woditsch, M. Abels, and B. Brazel: US Patents 4,525,334, 1985

  8. I. Barin, G. Platzki, Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances, 3rd Edition, Two volumes (VCH Publishers, New York, 1995)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Sakaguchi: PCT International Patent WO2007/119605, 2007

  10. P. Woditsch, W. Koch, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 72, 11–26 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. K. Yasuda, K. Saegusa, T.H. Okabe, Mater. Trans. 50, 2873–78 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. A. Sanjurjo, K. M. Sancier, R. M. Emerson, and S. C. Leach: Proceedings of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project Workshop on Low-Cost Polysilicon for Terrestrial Photovoltaic Solar-Cell Applications, 1986, vol. 1, pp. 325–43

  13. A. Sanjurjo, L. Nanis, K. Sancier, R. Bartlett, V. Kapur, J. Electrochem. Soc. 128, 179–84 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. X. Xie, J. Bao, A. Sanjurjo, Mater. Trans. E 3E, 299–312 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  15. K. Yasuda, T.H. Okabe, JOM 62(12), 94–101 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. E. Wiberg, N. Wilberg, Inorganic Chemistry (Academic Press, Berlin, 2001), p. 823

    Google Scholar 

  17. C.M.Y. Berta, Z.L. Wang, Solid State Commun. 129, 681–85 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. J.L. Murray, A.J. McAlister, Bull. Alloy Phase Diagr. 5, 74–84 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. W. C. Reynolds: Interactive Computer Programs for Chemical Equilibrium Analysis, Free Software from Stanford University, Stanford, 1981

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to express appreciation to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) as well as SRI International for providing the funds and support for this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaobing Xie.

Additional information

Manuscript submitted June 29, 2016.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xie, X., Lau, K., Sanjurjo, A. et al. Reaction of SiF4 with Al Metal. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions E 4, 29–40 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40553-016-0104-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40553-016-0104-y

Keywords

Navigation