Utilizing ionic liquids for hydrofluorocarbon separation

1. A process for separating one or more components from a multi-component mixture,

wherein the mixture comprises an azeotropic or close-boiling mixture, and

wherein the mixture comprises a first hydrofluorocarbon compound and one or more members of the group consisting of:

a) a second hydrofluorocarbon compound; and

b) a fluorocarbon compound selected from the group consisting of a compound that consists solely of fluorine and carbon atoms (an “FC-fluorocarbon compound”), a fluoroether compound, a fluoroketone compound, a fluoroaromatic compound, and a fluoroolefin compound;

wherein the process comprises contacting the mixture with at least one ionic liquid in which one component of the mixture is less soluble than at least one other component of the mixture, and separating the less soluble component from the mixture;

wherein the at least one ionic liquid comprises both a fluorinated cation and a fluorinated anion; and

wherein the separation process comprises steps from a process selected from the group consisting of distillation, stripping, rectification, extraction, chromatography and evaporation.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the first or second hydrofluorocarbon compound is selected from the group consisting of a compound that consists solely of fluorine, carbon and hydrogen atoms (an “HFC-hydrofluorocarbon compound”), a hydrofluoroether compound, a hydrofluoroketone compound, a hydrofluoroaromatic compound, and a hydrofluoroolefin compound.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the first or second hydrofluorocarbon compound is selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethane (HFC-23), difluoromethane (HFC-32), pentafluoroethane (HFC-125), 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a), 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a), fluoroethane (HFC-161), methyl nonafluoroisobutyl ether, methyl nonafluorobutyl ether, ethyl nonafluoroisobutyl ether, ethyl nonafluorobutyl ether, and 3-ethoxy-1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,6-dodecafluoro-2-trifluoromethylhexane.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein a fluorocarbon compound is an FC-fluorocarbon compound.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein an FC-fluorocarbon compound, when contained in a multi-component mixture, is selected from the group consisting of perfluoromethane (FC-14), perfluoroethane (FC-116), and perfluoropropane (FC-218).

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises a pair of refrigerants selected from the group of pairs consisting of:

(i) HFC-32 and HFC-125,

(ii) HFC-125 and HFC-143a,

(iii) HFC-32 and HFC-143a,

(iv) CFC-115 and HFC-125,

(v) HFC-32 and HFC-134a, and

(iv) CFC-125 and HFC-134a.

7. The process of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein a fluorinated cation is selected from the group consisting of the following eleven cations:

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of:

(i) H;

(ii) halogen;

(iii) —CH 3 , —C 2 H 5 , or a C 3 to C 25 straight-chain, branched or cyclic alkane or alkene group, optionally substituted with at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F, I, OH, NH 2 and SH;

(iv) —CH 3 , —C 2 H 5 , or a C 3 to C 25 straight-chain, branched or cyclic alkane or alkene group comprising one to three heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S, and optionally substituted with at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F, I, OH, NH 2 and SH;

(v) a C 6 to C 20 unsubstituted aryl, or C 6 to C 25 unsubstituted heteroaryl, group having one to three heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S; and

(vi) a C 6 to C 25 substituted aryl, or a C 6 to C 25 substituted heteroaryl, group having one to three heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S;

wherein said substituted aryl or substituted heteroaryl group has one to three substituents independently selected from the group consisting of:

(1) —CH 3 , —C 2 H 5 , or a C 3 to C 25 straight-chain, branched or cyclic alkane or alkene group, optionally substituted with at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F, I, OH, NH 2 and SH,

(2) OH,

(3) NH 2 , and

(4) SH; and

wherein R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 are each independently selected from the group consisting of:

(i) —CH 3 , —C 2 H 5 , or a C 3 to C 25 straight-chain, branched or cyclic alkane or alkene group, optionally substituted with at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F, I, OH, NH 2 and SH;

(ii) —CH 3 , —C 2 H 5 , or a C 3 to C 25 straight-chain, branched or cyclic alkane or alkene group comprising one to three heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S, and optionally substituted with at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F, I, OH, NH 2 and SH;

(iii) a C 6 to C 25 unsubstituted aryl, or a C 6 to C 25 unsubstituted heteroaryl, group having one to three heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S; and

(iv) a C 6 to C 25 substituted aryl, or a C 6 to C 25 substituted heteroaryl, group having one to three heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of O, N, Si and S;

wherein said substituted aryl or substituted heteroaryl group has one to three substituents independently selected from the group consisting of:

(1) —CH 3 , —C 2 H 5 , or a C 3 to C 25 straight-chain, branched or cyclic alkane or alkene group, optionally substituted with at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, F, I, OH, NH 2 and SH,

(2) OH,

(3) NH 2 , and

(4) SH; and

wherein optionally at least two of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 can together form a cyclic or bicyclic alkanyl or alkenyl group; and;

wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 comprises a fluorine-substituted group, or F—.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein a fluorinated anion, as contained in the at least one ionic liquid, is selected from the group consisting of [BF 4 ]—, [PF 6 ]—, [SbF 6 ]—, [CF 3 SO 3 ]—, [HCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 HFCCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [HCClFCF 2 SO 3]—, [(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, [(CF 3 CF 2 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, [(CF 3 SO 2 ) 3 C]—, [CF 3 CO 2 ]—, [CF 3 OCFHCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 CF 2 OCFHCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 CFHOCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 2 HCF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 2 ICF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [(CF 2 HCF 2 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, [(CF 3 CFHCF 2 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, and F—.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein a fluorinated anion, as contained in the at least one ionic liquid, is selected from the group consisting of [BF 4 ]—, [PF 6 ]—, [SbF 6 ]—, [CF 3 SO 3 ]—, [HCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 HFCCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [HCClFCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, [(CF 3 CF 2 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, [(CF 3 SO 2 ) 3 C]—, [CF 3 CO 2 ]—, [CF 3 OCFHCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 CF 2 OCFHCF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 CFHOCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 2 HCF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 2 ICF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [CF 3 CF 2 OCF 2 CF 2 SO 3 ]—, [(CF 2 HCF 2 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, [(CF 3 CFHCF 2 SO 2 ) 2 N]—, and F—.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises both the first and second hydrofluorocarbons.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises HFC-32 and HFC-125, and HFC-125 is the less soluble component that is separated from the mixture.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the distillation is performed in a distillation column.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the less soluble component is removed from the top of the column.

14. The process of claim 12 wherein the at least one ionic liquid and the more soluble component are removed together from the bottom of the column, the at least one ionic liquid and the more soluble component are separated outside the column, and the at least one ionic liquid is returned to the column.

15. The process of claim 12 wherein the mixture comprises a pair of refrigerants selected from the group of pairs consisting of:

(i) HFC-32 and HFC-125,

(ii) HFC-125 and HFC-143a,

(iii) HFC-32 and HFC-143a,

(iv) CFC-115 and HFC-125,

(v) HFC-32 and HFC-134a, and

(iv) CFC-125 and HFC-134a.