Purification of xenon difluoride from xenon tetrafluoride

Abstract

The purification of xenon difluoride from metal fluorides impurities doesn't raise difficulties and can be performed by means of common recondensation. But still the production of xenon difluoride with low content of xenon tetrafluoride causes serious difficulties. As a basis for the process the reduction reaction of xenon tetrafluoride with gaseous xenon at elevated temperature is taken: XeF 4 + Xe = 2XeF 2 In this work we studied the effect of temperature, process pressure, ratio between starting xenon fluorides and gas mixture of xenon and diluent gas in gas phase, presence of diluent gas in reduction mixture with xenon on the degree of purification of xenon difluoride and purification losses. The reduction of xenon tetrafluoride with xenon to difluoride, which afterwards was withdrawn from the reaction zone, was performed in the gas phase. The starting xenon difluoride at the present conditions did not change and along with xenon difluoride, produced by reduction, were condensed in the collector. By using the optimal conditions of purification we can produce xenon difluoride with content of the base material not less than 99,9 %. We have developed the technique of purification of xenon difluoride without losses of xenon difluoride and not introducing the additional impurities, that substantially simplifies implementation of the process and service conditions.