Abstract
In this paper the preliminary results obtained by feeding boron trichloride in a nitrogen plasma jet downstream the anode are given.
Maximum BCI3 conversions of 15% have been obtained for 20 kW and BCI3 flow rates about 2 g/min by quenching the reacting mixture with a water-cooled rotating cylinder. BCI3 conversion is apparently irrespective of the nitrogen flow-rate and drops from 15% to 3% on increasing the BCI3 flow-rate.
Without the use of the quenching devices BCI3 was not converted at all. The solid product contains boron and boron nitride and about half the total boron is present as boron nitride.
The results show that experimental conversions are higher than those predicted from thermodynamic equilibrium of the system BCI3-N2.