Manufacture of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride of high purity and low content of arsenic.

摘要

A process for manufacturing high purity anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (HF) having low levels of arsenic impurity by contacting anhydrous hydrogen fluoride product, or an intermediate product obtained during the manufacture of HF, with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst which comprises effective amounts of molybdenum or an inorganic molybdenum compound and a phosphate compound. The volatile trivalent arsenic impurity in the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is oxidized to a non-volatile pentavalent arsenic compound and the resultant mixture is distilled to recover high purity anhydrous hydrogen fluoride with reduced levels of arsenic impurity. In one emodiment, an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid or a nitrate salt is added to the reaction mixture to oxidize organic contaminants.