John C Smeltzer, Age 622014 Juliet Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105

6391182, May 21, 2002

Apr 12, 2001

09/833360

John C. Smeltzer - Woodbury MN
Charles F. Kolpin - River Falls WI

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

C25B 308

205460, 205461

Described is a process for the electrochemical fluorination of a substrate, the process comprising the steps of: providing a substrate comprising at least one carbon-bonded hydrogen; preparing a reaction solution comprising the substrate and hydrogen fluoride; passing electric current through the reaction solution sufficient to cause replacement of one or more hydrogens of the substrate with fluorine, the electric current being interrupted through a current cycle defined by current levels comprising an elevated current and a reduced current; wherein the current varies in such a manner that the resistance of the cell operated with interrupted current is lower than the resistance of the cell operated with non-interrupted current.

5387323, Feb 7, 1995

Aug 31, 1993

8/115202

Richard M. Minday - Stillwater MN
Thomas M. Barrett - Prescott WI
Charles F. Kolpin - River Falls WI
John C. Smeltzer - Woodbury MN

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - St. Paul MN

C25B 308

204 59F

A process for preparing fluorochemical compounds, e. g. , perfluoroalkanes, perfluoroethers, and perfluoroalkyl tertiary amines, comprises (a) forming a mixture comprising at least one fluorinatable, non-functional organic starting compound, e. g. , propane, and at least one other compound which is present in an amount sufficient to enable the formation of a fluorochemical phase and which is selected from the group consisting of (i) perfluorochemical compounds, e. g. , perfluorohexane, which boil at a higher temperature than either the fluorinatable, non-functional organic starting compound or the fluorochemical compound resulting from the subsequent fluorination of the fluorinatable, non-functional organic starting compound; and (ii) precursor compounds, e. g. , hexane, which can be fluorinated in situ to produce such perfluorochemical compounds; and (b) subjecting the mixture to electrochemical fluorination in the presence of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride.

5322597, Jun 21, 1994

Jul 30, 1992

7/923100

William V. Childs - Stillwater MN
Frank W. Klink - Oak Park Heights MN
John C. Smeltzer - Woodbury MN
Jeffrey C. Spangler - Eagan MN

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - St. Paul MN

C25B 308
C25B 900
C25B 1102
C25B 1508

204 59F

An electrochemical fluorination process comprises passing by forced convection a liquid mixture comprising anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and fluorinatable organic compound, e. g. , tripropyl amine, at a temperature and pressure at which a substantially continuous liquid phase is maintained, between the electrodes of a bipolar electrode stack. The bipolar electrode stack comprises a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced-apart electrodes made of an electrically-conductive material, e. g. , nickel, which is essentially inert to anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and which, when used as an anode, is active for electrochemical fluorination, and the electrodes of the stack are arranged in either a series or a series-parallel electrical configuration. The bipolar electrode stack has an applied voltage difference which produces a direct current which can cause the production of fluorinated organic compound, e. g. , perfluoro(tripropyl amine).

6267865, Jul 31, 2001

Dec 17, 1999

9/464781

Stephen D. Polson - St. Paul MN
Jeffrey C. Spangler - Eagan MN
Eric N. Wallace - St. Paul MN
John C. Smeltzer - Woodbury MN
Charles F. Kolpin - River Falls WI
Ludmila M. Groubina - late of S.-Petersburg, RU
Galina I. Kaurova - S.-Petersburg, RU
Anatoly A. Krasilnikov - S.-Petersburg, RU
Adda E. Gandlina - Bonn, DE

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

C25B 100
C25B 308

205341

Described is a process for the electrochemical fluorination of a substrate, the process comprising the steps of: providing a substrate comprising at least one carbon-bonded hydrogen; preparing a reaction solution comprising the substrate and hydrogen fluoride; passing electric current through the reaction solution sufficient to cause replacement of one or more hydrogens of the substrate with fluorine, the electric current being interrupted through a current cycle defined by current levels comprising an elevated current and a reduced current; wherein the current varies in such a manner that the resistance of the cell operated with interrupted current is lower than the resistance of the cell operated with non-interrupted current.