Research and development in the field of technologies applied in obtaining ozone-friendly refrigerants and fine fluorine-containing gases are carried our in the research laboratory of ASTOR.
The highly qualified staff of the laboratory investigates processes of fluorination, fine purification, mass exchange of fluorine-containing compounds and optimization of the existing and newly developed processes.
The fluorination processes are investigated with the plants that allow to introduce fluorine atoms, including element fluorine, in the molecules of different classes, with the use of various fluorinating agents. The experimental plants are designed to conduct reactions in gaseous, liquid and solid phase and in low-temperature plasma.
Bearing in mind the ever-growing requirements for quality of the fluorine-containing gases used in electronics, our experts have developed techniques and experimental plants for the hydrodynamic, heat- and mass exchange, adsorption and absorption processes.
Plants for investigation of phase equilibrium and solubility and laboratory rectification columns are used for closer examination of the mass exchange processes. In addition, computer simulation of sorption, rectification, hydrodynamic, heat-, and mass exchange processes is carried out in the laboratory, the state-of-the-art mathematical methods and software being used.
Based on the scientific research, the existing processes are optimized, new processes are developed, and the ways to improve technical, economical and working characteristics of existing and newly created productions are searched for.
The laboratory of ASTOR Company is furnished with the up-to-date analytical equipment allowing to solve applied and scientific problems arising at developing new processes and compounds.
The core of the analytical equipment of the laboratory is the chromatographic device equipped with thermal conductivity detectors, flame ionization detectors and such highly sensitive detectors as photoionization, flame-photometric and pulsed discharge detectors for determination of the trace contaminant content as low as 0.05 ppm.
The variety of detectors allows using analytical columns of virtually any format and configuration. The most complete chromatographic peak separation, which is attained by the use of diverse capillary columns, sorbents (including those with implanted phases) and multicolumn techniques, provides high-precision analysis.
The techniques to provide continuous multiple-point sample analysis have been developed in the laboratory, which is used in studying synthesis, sorption, and rectification processes. Substances or contaminants are identified with the help of a mass-selective detector complete with a chromatograph. The Agilent chromatomass spectrometer used in the laboratory allows to obtain a mass-spectrum both of the main substance and of any of its trace contaminants, at a concentration as low as 1 ppm, and substances can be identified by the mass-spectrum with the chance of coincidence up to 99%.
Other analysis methods are widely used in the laboratory as well. For instance, infrared spectrometry allowing to analyze contaminants containing highly active chemical substances difficult or impossible to identify. The continuous quality control of the reagents, calibration gases and carrier gases used in the laboratory provides reliability and preciseness of all the measurements taken there.
The main achievements of the research section of ASTOR Company are development and industrial introduction of the ozone-friendly refrigerant referred to as ASTRON®12, and a number of developments in the field of fluorine-containing gases; among them the joint project of the Laboratory and FGUP AEHK (Angarsk) referred to as "A Technology for Synthesis of High-Purity Tetrafluoromethane (CF4), Hexafluoroethane (C2F6), Octafluoropropane (C3F8) and Other Fluorocarbons (C4F10, C5F12)", and the development made by the Laboratory alone referred to as "A Technology for Obtaining High-Purity Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) and Silicon Tetrafluoride (SiF4) for Electronic Industry" are worth noting.
All original compounds and technologies developed by the Laboratory of ASTOR Company are patented according to the Patent Law of Russia.
