Surface fluorination liquid containment

Polyester cloth-backed flat PP sheets (fleece-backed sheets) are normally used to manufacture large reservoirs for liquid containment purposes. Typically, such reservoirs are reinforced on the outside with fiberglass. The polyester mat backing serves as an adhesion key between the PP and the fiberglass resin. Fluorine surface activation can be used as a substitute for the fleece-backed material at a considerable cost-saving. Table 16.12 shows a comparison between the adhesive performance of the materials with two polyester resins. 

The fluorous silica concept involves the selective partitioning of a fluorous-modified catalyst between an organic liquid phase and the fluorinated surface phase. In the absence of CO2, the fluorinated catalyst prefers the fluorous surface phase and remains partitioned onto the silica. When CO2 pressure is added, the catalyst will partition off of the silica and into the GXL phase (containing reactants), where homogeneous reaction can take place. After the reaction is completed, the CO2 is removed and the catalyst will partition back onto the fluorous silica surface, which can be easily recovered by filtration. A cartoon schematic is shown as Figure 2. 

The original method of preparing fluorine was the electrolysis of a solution of potassium fluoride, KF, in liquid hydrogen fluoride, HF, using as the material of the containing vessel an alloy of platinum and iridium. It has since been learned that copper can be used for. this purpose. The copper is attacked by the fluorine, forming, however, a surface layer of copper fluoride which protects the tube from further corrosion. 

Phillips BS, John G, Zabinski JS (2007) Surface chemistry of fluorine containing ionic liquids on steel substrates at elevated temperature using Mossbauer spectroscopy. Tribol Lett 26 85-91... 

Bromine trifluoride is a pale yellow liquid at 298 K selected physical properties are given in Table 8.8 and the compound is discussed again in Section 16.7. Bromine trifluoride is an extremely powerful fluorinating agent and fluorinates essentially every species that dissolves in it. However, massive quartz is kinetically stable towards Brp3 and the solvent can be handled in quartz vessels. Alternatively, metal (e.g. Ni) containers can be used the metal surface becomes protected by a thin layer of metal fluoride. 

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