Abstract: An improved method for producing hydrogen fluoride from fluoride bearing ores, such as fluorospar and fluorapatite, by reaction of the ore as a slurry in fluorosulfonic acid. The slurry is heated by the exothermic heat of the reaction to vaporize volatile phosphorous compounds and substantial quantities of hydrogen fluoride. The calcium fluoride is substantially reacted to form hydrogen fluoride. High silica fluorospar ores can be used since silicon tetrafluoride is not formed with fluorosulfonic acid. Another feature provides for addition of calcium fluoride to the slurry to react with the by-product sulfuric acid in the residual solids to eliminate the sulfuric acid recovery step in the process. Hydrogen fluoride produced is recovered, together with the hydrogen fluoride produced from the hydrolysis or pyrolysis of the intermediate fluorophosphorous compounds. Additionally, at least a portion of the hydrogen fluoride can be reacted with sulfur trioxide to form fluorosulfonic acid for makeup in the process.

Abstract: The process of treating insoluble phosphate ore in the form of calcium phosphate, such as phosphate rock or bone phosphate, at near ambient conditions with sulfur trioxide or sulfuric acid as reactants in the presence of a liquid anhydrous dispersion media of, preferably, sulfur trioxide, sulfur dioxide, or their mixtures in liquid form so that the contacting of the ore is made in the form of an anhydrous slurry, to make the phosphorous content available as a nutrient or as phosphoric acid, and subsequently separating the dispersion media from the contacted ore preceding aqueous contact or extraction of the phosphorous constituent. The presence of sulfur dioxide in the anhydrous dispersion media is desirable to minimize operational difficulties associated with the proximity of the vaporization and solidification points of sulfur trioxide.

Abstract: The process of reacting a metallic halide (which metal is sodium, potassium or calcium) with sulfur trioxide including dispersing the metallic halide in the presence of an excess of sulfur trioxide or sulfur dioxide, as a dispersant, to enable handling the mixture as a slurry, completing the reaction to form the desired metallic halogen sulfonate, decomposing the metallic halogen sulfonate before or after an intermediate step to remove excess sulfur trioxide and sulfur dioxide, using combustion of sulfur to supply the heat to vaporize excess sulfur trioxide and sulfur dioxide present, and to decompose the metallic halogen sulfonate to yield the halogen, sulfur dioxide, and the sulfate of the metal, separating the metallic sulfate from the gaseous products, and separating the halogen from the sulfur trioxide and sulfur dioxide in the gaseous products by extractive distillation, or alternately treating organic material under anhydrous conditions with the metallic halogen sulfonate or its decomposition products,