Flourine Chemistry​

The Small Business innovation research (SBIR) program funded Pearlhill Technologies R&D for the creation of new processes for the conversion of DUF4 for commercial production of a number of high-value fluorine products, which are absorbable in high volume by the current markets for fluoride chemicals. Pearlhill’s fluorine products command higher price per fluorine atom in the composition than hydrogen fluoride (HF, the product created chemical in the current uranium recovery process). Although, the fluorine industry has embraced the metallic fluoride products, including boron trifluoride (BF3), germanium tetrafluoride (GeF4), and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) currently produced from DUF4 by other companies, the volumes of these fluorine products that is producible from the conversion of less than one percent of newly generated DUF6 could quickly flood their current markets. Meanwhile, in order to mitigate the DUF6 problem, there is need for conversion of the fluorine component into a nonradioactive stable form with commercial market outlets big enough to utilize the extracted fluorine from the entire nuclear waste stockpile.

Fluorinated gases

Pearlhill Technologies extracts non-radioactive nonmetallic inorganic fluorides from uranium tetrafluoride (NIFUT), including sulfur tetrafluoride (SF4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gases. [US Pat. #s 8,367,026; 8,231,855; 8,163,262], along with the production of depleted uranium oxide (DU3O8) as byproduct.

Fluorinated products

Pearlhill Technologies employs sulfur tetrafluoride (SF4) as a versatile gas for carrying out many fluorination processes in our facilities. Expertise in fluorine chemistry and chemical technology for versatile use of sulfur tetrafluoride for carrying out many fluorination processes to produce products for the electrical-, semiconductor-, agrochemical-, pharmaceutical-, resins- and the coatings industries. The market volumes for nonmetallic inorganic fluoride are significantly larger than the markets for the metallic fluorides.

Fluorinated coatings

High humidity and corrosive conditions of coastline, marine, and airport environments produce salty atmosphere that permeate coating layers to accelerate galvanic reactions at the interface. This results in catastrophic and expensive failure that manifests as delamination, chalking, and equipment failure. The architectural construction industry has long recognized this problem. Current coating technologies have some performance limitations. Pearlhill Technologies has innovated fluorinated powder coatings that can self-sense the early stages of aluminum and stainless steel metal corrosion, and then selfheal by electrolytic interface protection (EIP) mechanism. These new powder coatings effectively suppress aluminum and stainless steel corrosion far more effectively as AAMA 2605 specification of ten years in Florida. Qualicoat Class 3 has requirement for 10 years coastal protection. Our products are especially effective at coastline, marine, and airports environments. The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Specification 2605, the gold standard of the architectural coatings industry does not adequately address the performance requirements of humid and corrosive coastline environments. Aluminum- and stainless steel alloys, which are most widely used for construction in these regions, are susceptible to corrosion and degradation in these environments.
Corrosive Coastline of the conterminous United States of America

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