Process and system for selective abatement of reactive gases and recovery of perfluorocompound gases
First Claim
1. A process to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture comprising reactive gases, perfluorocompound gases, and carrier gases, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a gas mixture comprising at least one perfluorocompound gas, at least one carrier gas, and at least one reactive gas;
b) directing the gas mixture to an abatement unit, wherein a major portion of the reactive gases are converted into substantially inert species, and thereby forming an intermediate gas mixture consisting essentially of the perfluorocompound gases and the carrier gases;
c) providing at least one membrane unit having a plurality of hollow fiber glassy polymer membranes, the membrane unit having a feed side and a permeate side, the hollow fibers of the membrane unit being permeable to the at least one carrier gas and being non-permeable to the at least one perfluorocompound gases;
d) contacting the feed side of the at least one membrane unit with the intermediate gas mixture, the intermediate gas mixture being at a predetermined pressure;
e) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane unit as a first non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure, a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and
f) withdrawing from the permeate side of the at least one membrane unit as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture consisting essentially of the at least one carrier gas.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Processes and systems to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture are provided. In one embodiment the inventive process comprises the steps of a) providing a gas mixture comprising at least one perfluorocompound gas and at least one carrier gas, the gas mixture being at a predetermined pressure; b) providing at least one glassy polymer membrane having a feed side and a permeate side; c) contacting the feed side of the at least one membrane with the gas mixture; d) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane as a non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and e) withdrawing from the permeate side of the membrane as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one carrier gas.
127 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A process to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture comprising reactive gases, perfluorocompound gases, and carrier gases, the process comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a gas mixture comprising at least one perfluorocompound gas, at least one carrier gas, and at least one reactive gas; b) directing the gas mixture to an abatement unit, wherein a major portion of the reactive gases are converted into substantially inert species, and thereby forming an intermediate gas mixture consisting essentially of the perfluorocompound gases and the carrier gases; c) providing at least one membrane unit having a plurality of hollow fiber glassy polymer membranes, the membrane unit having a feed side and a permeate side, the hollow fibers of the membrane unit being permeable to the at least one carrier gas and being non-permeable to the at least one perfluorocompound gases; d) contacting the feed side of the at least one membrane unit with the intermediate gas mixture, the intermediate gas mixture being at a predetermined pressure; e) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane unit as a first non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure, a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and f) withdrawing from the permeate side of the at least one membrane unit as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture consisting essentially of the at least one carrier gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A process to recover at least one perfluorocompound gas from a gas mixture flowing from a semiconductor manufacturing tool, the gas mixture comprising at least one carrier gas and at least one reactive gas, the process comprising the steps of:
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a) directing the gas mixture to an abatement unit, wherein a major portion of the reactive gases are converted into substantially inert species, and thereby forming an intermediate gas mixture consisting essentially of the perfluorocompound gases and the carrier gases; b) directing the intermediate gas mixture into a feed side of at least one membrane unit having a plurality of hollow fiber glassy polymer membranes, the membrane unit having a permeate side, each hollow fiber glassy polymer membrane of the membrane unit being permeable to the at least one carrier gas and being non-permeable to the at least one perfluorocompound gases; c) withdrawing from the feed side of the membrane unit as a non-permeate stream at a pressure which is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure, a concentrated gas mixture comprising essentially the at least one perfluorocompound gas; and d) withdrawing from the permeate side of the at least one membrane as a permeate stream a depleted gas mixture consisting essentially of the at least one carrier gas.
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27. A system combining abatement and recovery units for treating gas mixtures comprising a perfluorocompound gas, a reactive gas, and a carrier gas, the system comprising:
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a) an abatement unit adapted to receive the gas mixture, the abatement unit selected from the group consisting of combustion, thermal-chemical, plasma decomposers, pulsed corona reactors, and combinations thereof, the abatement unit adapted to produce an intermediate gas mixture consisting essentially of the perfluorocompound gas and the carrier gas; and b) at least one membrane separation unit having a feed side and a permeate side, and comprising a plurality of glassy polymer hollow fibers, the glassy polymer hollow fibers being permeable to the carrier gas and being substantially non-permeable to at least one perfluorocompound gas, the membrane unit connected to the abatement unit via an abatement unit effluent conduit, the membrane unit having a permeate vent conduit and a non-permeate conduit. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system combining abatement and recovery units for treating gas mixtures comprising a perfluorocompound gas, a reactive gas, and a carrier gas, the system comprising:
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a) an abatement unit adapted to receive the gas mixture, the abatement unit selected from the group consisting of combustion, thermal-chemical, plasma decomposers, pulsed corona reactors, and combinations thereof, the abatement unit adapted to produce an intermediate gas mixture consisting essentially of the perfluorocompound gas and the carrier gas; b) a compressor connected to the abatement unit through an abatement unit discharge conduit, the compressor adapted to provide a compressed intermediate gas mixture through a compressor discharge conduit; c) optional heating or cooling means in the compressor discharge conduit adapted to provide a desired compressed intermediate gas temperature; and d) at least one membrane separation unit having a feed side and a permeate side, and comprising a plurality of glassy polymer hollow fibers, the glassy polymer hollow fibers being permeable to the carrier gas and being substantially non-permeable to at least one perfluorocompound gas, the membrane unit connected to the compressor via the compressor discharge conduit, the membrane unit having a permeate vent conduit and a non-permeate conduit. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification