Process for production of highly pure quaternary ammonium salt

1. A process for preparing a highly pure quaternary ammonium salt comprising:

(1) adding a quaternary ammonium hydroxide salt or quaternary ammonium carbonate to a quaternary ammonium salt containing a protonic acid salt of a tertiary amine as an impurity,

wherein the anion of quaternary ammonium salt is selected from the group consisting of CF 3 CO 2 − , CF 3 SO 3 − , BF 4 − , AlF 4 − , ClBF 3 − , (FSO 2 ) 2 N − , PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , ClO 4 − , N(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 − , C(CF 3 SO 3 ) 3 − , RfSO 3 − , RfCO 2 − , wherein Rf is fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 SO 2 )N − and (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 CO 2 ) − , wherein R r1 and R r2 are the same or different and are each fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms: and

wherein the protonic acid is selected from the group consisting of CF 3 CO 2 H, CF 3 SO 3 H, HBF 4 , HAlF 4 , HClBF 3 , (FSO 2 ) 2 NH, HPF 6 , HAsF 6 , HClO 4 , NH(CF 3 SO 2 , HC(CF 3 SO 3 , RfSO 3 H, RfCO 2 H, wherein Rf is fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 SO 2 )NH and (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 CO 2 )H, wherein R r1 and R r2 are the same or different and are each fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms,

and thereby neutralizing the tertiary amine protonic acid salt with the quaternary ammonium hydroxide salt or carbonate to convert the acid salt to a tertiary amine and water and to convert the quaternary ammonium hydroxide salt or carbonate to a quaternary ammonium salt at the same time, and

(2) removing the tertiary amine and water produced from the system.

2. A process for preparing a highly pure quaternary ammonium salt comprising:

(1) reacting a tertiary amine with an alkyl halide having or not having a substituent to obtain a quaternary ammonium halide salt,

(2) reacting an acid compound with the halide salt to obtain a quaternary ammonium salt containing a tertiary amine protonic acid salt as an impurity,

wherein the anion of quaternary ammonium salt is selected from the group consisting of CF 3 CO 2 − , CF 3 SO 3 − , BF 4 − , AlF 4 − , ClBF 3 − , (FSO 2 ) 2 N − , PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , ClO 4 − , N(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 − , C(CF 3 SO 3 ) 3 − , RfSO 3 − , RfCO 2 − , wherein Rf is fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 SO 2 )N − and (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 CO 2 ) − , wherein R r1 and R r2 are the same or different and are each fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms: and

wherein the protonic acid is selected from the group consisting of CF 3 CO 2 H, CF 3 SO 3 H, HBF 4 , HAlF 4 , HClBF 3 , (FSO 2 ) 2 NH, HPF 6 , HAsF 6 , HClO 4 , NH(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 , HC(CF 3 SO 3 ) 3 , RfSO 3 H, RfCO 2 H, wherein Rf is fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 SO 2 )NH and (R r1 SO 2 )(R r2 CO 2 )H, wherein R r1 and R r2 are the same or different and are each fluoroalkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms,

(3) adding a quaternary ammonium hydroxide salt or quaternary ammonium carbonate to the quaternary ammonium salt and thereby neutralizing the tertiary amine protonic acid salt with the quaternary ammonium hydroxide salt or carbonate to convert the acid salt to a tertiary amine and water and to convert the quaternary ammonium hydroxide salt or carbonate to a quaternary ammonium salt at the same time, and

(4) removing the tertiary amine and water produced from the system.

3. A process as defined in claim 2 wherein the acid compound is CF 3 CO 2 H, CF 3 SO 3 H, HBF 4 , HAlF 4 , HClBF 3 or (FSO 2 ) 2 NH.