Transport and Emptying Container

This invention relates to a device suitable for the transportion and delivery of highly pure liquid chemicals capable of reacting with air.

There are many instances when chemicals having a very high purity are required. If these chemicals are capable of reacting with constituents of the air, for example, oxygen or atmospheric moisture, it becomes necessary to ensure that these chemicals cannot come into contact with air, either during transport and storage, or when they are emptied out.

For the manufacture of light transmitting fiber in particular, liquid chemicals, for example, silicon tetrachloride, phosphorus oxychloride, boron tribromide and germanium tetrachloride, are required in high purities. The presence of transition elements from the 4th period (vanadium to copper) in these liquid chemicals is particularly undesirable. Unfortunately, contamination with heavy metals, for example, iron, chromium and nickel, becomes virtually unavoidable when prior art stainless steel containers are used since, as a result of hydrolysis with atmospheric moisture which is virtually impossible to prevent during filling and emptying, hydrohalic acids are formed which attack the stainless steel container.

For this reason, these chemicals are often delivered in sealed glass ampoules. These glass ampoules have the disadvantage, however, that only a relatively small amount can be filled into each package and the emptying of the packages can only be carried out through very complicated procedures of sealing out air. A quartz container can also be used for this purpose, which includes fused-in connecting tubes. However, this type of container is extremely expensive and can therefore be manufactured for only relatively small quantities. Further, the cleaning of the container which is necessary before refilling, is very difficult since a sufficiently large opening into the container is generally not provided.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide an inexpensive container for highly pure chemicals, which permits easy filling and emptying in an inert gas atmosphere, and which is easy to clean when re-used.

Upon further study, additional objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art. To achieve these objects, the present invention includes a transport and emptying device, for highly pure liquid chemicals which are capable of reacting with constituents of air, said device comprising a container having a plurality of connecting tubes for filling and emptying. The container of the device is divided into two parts, a lower part for carrying the liquid chemicals therein, and an upper part which carries the connecting tubes. The two parts are joined by means of a flange which includes a gasket which is positioned between the two parts of the container.

The invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which several preferred embodiments are shown.

FIG. 1 is a side view, in partial cross-section, of the transport and emptying device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the device, showing the connection to the lower part.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the upper part of the device.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an emptying tube, having an angle valve located thereon for emptying.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the emptying tube of the present invention wherein said tube has screwed-on connections.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the transport and emptying device of the present invention integrated into a fixed installation.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the lower part of the container is marked 1 and the upper part of the container is marked 2. The two parts are joined at an outwardly extending flange portion 3 having a gasket 4 interposed therebetween.

Further, there is a bracket positioned on said flange portion, with resilient rings disposed between the flange portion 3 and the bracket, for tightening the two parts of the container together.

The emptying tubes 5 and 6 extend into the upper part 2 and have rupture valves 7 located therein.

Of the tubes 5 and 6, emptying tube 6 extends through the upper part 2 into the lower part 1 of the container, and the emptying tube 5 communicates with, and extends into the upper part 2. A filling tube 8, of which there can be a plurality and preferably two, is shown in the sealed state. The filling tubes too extend into and communicate with the upper part 2. The filling as well as the emptying tubes are fused with the upper part 2.

There are caps 9 placed on the emptying tubes. Further, FIG. 3 shows a side connection 10 as provided in a preferred embodiment of the emptying tubes of the invention. An angle valve 11, of another embodiment of the emptying tube, having a side connection to the angle valve, is shown in FIG. 4. Finally, FIG. 1 shows a protective hood 12 which can be fixed to the flange 3 for covering the emptying tubes 5 and 6 and the filling tube. 8.

In FIG. 6, 14 designates the inert gas-supply, 15 a drying tower and 16 a fine filter. A flow meter is designated 17 and the transport and emptying device of the present invention is designated 18, a stock vessel is 19 and the flow outlet to the user 20.

The main advantage of the device of the present invention, preferably manufactured from glass, more particularly, from borosilicate glass of the Ist hydrolytic class, for example, Duran glass or Pyrex glass, is the fact that it is easy to handle when cleaning, filling and emptying. Since the container carrying the chemical is divided into two parts, specifically, an upper part 2 and a lower part 1, the device can be very thoroughly cleaned before filling without resulting in a great number of complications. Further, the use of a standard size flange 3 allows the use of the upper part 2 for a lower part 1 having any desired size, after the length of the emptying tube 6 has been appropriately adapted. Therefore, the holding capacity of the device according to the present invention can be adapted in a simple manner according to the needs of the user by merely holding various different sizes of the lower part 1 in stock.

After careful cleaning of the upper part 2 and lower part 1, they are assembled with the aid of the flange 3 and a gasket 4 which is made of an inert material, preferably Teflon, and the emptying tubes 5 and 6 which are sealed by rupture valves 7 are closed with caps 9 which can be either screwed on or pushed on. After a purge with an inert gas, the filling of the device with the chemical can then be carried out through the filling tubes 8 which are still open. Subsequently, the two filling tubes 8 are sealed by fusion. The chemical is thereby completely sealed against environmental influences and is ready for transporting. To protect the filling and emptying tubes 5, 6 and 8 from damage, the upper part 2 can be covered with a protective hood 12.

For emptying-out the chemical in an inert environment, the device can be fitted onto a fixed installation having a construction substantially as shown in the view of FIG. 6. When this operation is performed, the closing caps 9 are removed from the emptying tubes 5 and 6 and, if appropriate after securing an angle valve 11 in place, the emptying tubes 5 and 6 are connected to the inert gas supply and to the user through the side connection 10 or through the side connection 13 of the angle valve.

After the space above the rupture valves 7 is thoroughly flushed, the valves 7 are destroyed, for example, by introducing a clean glass rod thereinto, and the emptying tubes 5 and 6 are closed either by the upper part of the angle valve 11 after removal of the glass rod, or by a pierced cap 9, in which case the glass rod which has already been loosely positioned together with the cap 9 during flushing, remains in the connection 5 and 6. By injecting inert gas through the emptying tube 5, the contents of the device can then be passed through the emptying tube 6 and to the user's stock vessel.

Alternatively, the device of the present invention can itself be used as a stock vessel (so-called bubbler), in which case the supplying of the inert gas is merely effected through the emptying tube 6. After emptying, renewal of the rupture valves 7 and appropriate cleaning, the device can then be filled again and re-used.

Therefore, the present invention provides a transport and emptying device, which can be used not only in a very versatile manner with the greatest possible safety, but one which is also very easy to handle and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention, having been described by way of example, it is not intended to be limiting in any way and other changes and modifications which are apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included therein.