Fluorine Gas Generating Device

Abstract

A fluorine gas generating device 100 is provided which facilitates the maintenance operation of recovery and replacement of an adsorbing material that adsorbs hydrogen fluoride and supplies fluorine gas in a stable manner. The device comprises a refining line 20 that includes refining devices that, with the aid of adsorbing material, remove hydrogen fluoride gas that has been evaporated from a molten salt of an electrolytic tank 1 and mixed to fluorine gas generated at a positive pole 103 a of the electrolytic tank. The refining line 20 comprises a first refining section 21 that includes at least two refining devices arranged in parallel and a second refining section 22 that includes at least two refining devices arranged in parallel and is positioned downstream of the first refining section 21 . Fluorine gas that has passed through either one of the refining devices of the first refining section 21 is selectively led to either one of the refining devices of the second refining section.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of generating fluorine gas in a fluorine gas generating device, comprising:
 subjecting hydrogen fluoride in a bath of electrolytic solution including a molten salt containing the hydrogen fluoride to electrolysis in an electrolytic tank to produce at an anode side a main-product gas that contains as a main component a fluorine gas and at a cathode side a by-product gas that contains as a main component a hydrogen gas;   controlling a temperature in two refining devices arranged in parallel in a first refining section in a refining line with first temperature control devices to a range from 70° C. to 100° C.;   controlling a temperature in two refining devices arranged in parallel in a second refining section in the refining line positioned downstream of the first refining section with second temperature control devices to a range from 0° C. to 50° C.;   passing the fluorine gas through either one of the refining devices of the first refining section;   passing the fluorine gas through piping permitting each of the refining devices of the first refining section to supply the fluorine gas to either of the refining devices of the second refining section;   passing the fluorine gas through either one of the refining devices of the second refining section; and   removing hydrogen fluoride gas that has been evaporated from the molten salt and mixed with the fluorine gas by adsorbing the hydrogen fluoride gas with sodium fluoride contained in the refining devices of the first refining section and the second refining section.   
     
     
         11 . A method of generating fluorine gas as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 adsorbing the hydrogen fluoride gas by passing the hydrogen fluoride gas in the fluorine gas through an adsorbing material storing means that contains the sodium fluoride;   detecting the concentration of the hydrogen fluoride gas in fluorine gas that has passed through the adsorbing material storing means with a concentration detector;   stopping one of the refining devices in the first or second refining section;   leading the fluorine gas to the other one of the refining devices in the first or second refining section, wherein the other one of the refining devices in the first or second refining section is in a standby condition;   discharging the adsorbed hydrogen fluoride from the adsorbing material storing means of the stopped refining device; and   controlling the temperature of the stopped refining device by its respective first or second temperature control device to cause the stopped refining device to assume a standby condition,   wherein, based on results of the detecting step, the stopping and leading steps are carried out by an operating switching means.   
     
     
         12 . A method of generating fluorine gas as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each of the refining devices comprises an adsorbing material storing means which is equipped with an adsorbing material holding member defining a gas flow passage and further comprising passing the fluorine gas through the respective gas flow passage in either one of the refining devices of the first refining section and either one of the refining devices of the second refining section. 
     
     
         13 . A method of generating fluorine gas as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the gas flow passage is a through bore and further comprising passing the fluorine gas through the respective through bore in either one of the refining devices of the first refining section and either one of the refining devices of the second refining section. 
     
     
         14 . A method of generating fluorine gas as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the adsorbing material holding member is a tray-like member and further comprising passing the fluorine gas through the respective gas flow passage defined by the respective tray-like member in either one of the refining devices of the first refining section and either one of the refining devices of the second refining section. 
     
     
         15 . A method of generating fluorine gas as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the gas flow passage is a zigzag gas flow passage and further comprising passing the fluorine gas through the respective zigzag gas flow passage in either one of the refining devices of the first refining section and either one of the refining devices of the second refining section. 
     
     
         16 . A method of generating fluorine gas as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 discharging the adsorbed hydrogen fluoride through discharge passages contained in the refining devices of both the first and second refining sections to the outside; and   leading the adsorbed hydrogen fluoride that has been discharged into the electrolytic tank for reuse.