The production of chlorine trifluoride is difficult and my country has an urgent need for import substitution.

Chlorine trifluoride, with the molecular formula ClF3, appears as a colorless gas at room temperature and can be liquefied at low temperatures, appearing as a green liquid. Chlorine trifluoride is an inorganic compound that is toxic and corrosive. It is one of the most reactive compounds known. It is a strong oxidant and fluorinating agent and is a hazardous chemical.

Chlorine trifluoride will react violently and explode when it meets water. It can react with most organic and inorganic materials. The reaction is violent and there is a danger of explosion. The decomposition product is toxic hydrogen fluoride, which can corrode glass, asbestos, and quartz with moisture. Can react with metallic elements. Chlorine trifluoride can be stored in metal containers with a metal fluoride protective layer, and pure chlorine trifluoride can be stored in glass containers below 180°C.

The preparation method of chlorine trifluoride is to use chlorine gas and fluorine gas as raw materials, mix them in a ratio of 1:3, pass them into a reactor made of nickel or Monel alloy, and react them at a temperature of 290°C. The by-product is chlorine fluoride.

Chlorine trifluoride can be used in nuclear power, aerospace, semiconductor, chemical industry, metal processing and other industries. In the field of nuclear power, chlorine trifluoride can be used to produce uranium hexafluoride (UF6), which is a stable gaseous compound of uranium and can be used as nuclear fuel; in the field of aerospace, chlorine trifluoride can be used to produce uranium hexafluoride (UF6). As a combustion accelerant for rocket engine fuel; in the semiconductor field, chlorine trifluoride can be used in chip etching, silicon wafer cleaning, etc.; in the chemical industry, chlorine trifluoride can produce organic fluorides and inorganic fluorides; in the metal processing field, chlorine trifluoride can be used in Chlorine fluoride can be used as a high-temperature metal cutting material.

According to the “In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report on Chlorine Trifluoride Industry 2021-2025” released by the Industrial Research Center, The chemical properties of chlorine trifluoride are too reactive and its production and application are very dangerous. There are only a few mass-produced companies in the world, mainly Japan’s Kanto Chemical and Asahi Glass. There are companies in my country that are developing large-scale preparation processes for chlorine trifluoride, but they have not yet achieved mass production, and domestic demand relies entirely on imports.

Industry analysts said that my country’s semiconductor industry is developing rapidly and the industry scale is huge. Chlorine trifluoride is a high-performance etchant. It can be used in chip etching under 14nm process. my country’s chip manufacturing technology is constantly improving. 14nm chips have achieved mass production. The research and development capabilities of chips below 14nm are constantly increasing. The demand for chlorine trifluoride is expected to continue to grow in the future. Therefore, my country’s demand for import substitution of chlorine trifluoride is becoming increasingly urgent.

In March 2021, Walter Gas signed a high-purity chlorine trifluoride research and development cooperation agreement with Sichuan Honghua Industrial Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation, and planned to jointly develop the core technology of high-purity chlorine trifluoride to break foreign monopoly and achieve domestic production. substitution. In the future, my country is expected to achieve independent production of chlorine trifluoride, but in the short term, market demand still relies on imports.