Process of producing silicon tetrahalide

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING SILICON TETRAHALIDE BY REACTION OF SOLID FERROSILICON IN A FLUIDIZED BED AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 400* TO ABOUT 1200* CENTIGRADE WITH A HALOGENATING GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHLORINE, BROMINE AND IODINE, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING (1) DILUTING SAID HALOGENATING GAS WITH AT LEAST ONE DILUENT GAS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITROGEN, CARBON MONOXIDE, SILICON TETRACHLORIDE, SILICON TETRABROMIDE AND SILICON TETRAIODIDE, SAID DILUTION WITH SAID DILUENT GAS BEING IN ADDITION TO THE SILICON TETRAHALIDE PRODUCED BY THE REACTION OF SAID HALOGENERATING GAS WITH SAID FERROSILICON, (2) INTRODUCING SAID HALOGENATING GAS AND SAID DILUENT GAS INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE BED THROUGH A PERFORATED PLATE AND (3) MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE DROPS ACROSS EACH PERFORATION AT LEAST ABOUT ONE-HALF THE PRESSURE DROP ACROSS THE FLUIDIZED BED WHEREBY SAID GASES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED IN SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND A SUBSTANTAILLY UNIFORM TEMPERATURE IS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT SAID BED.