Packaging for polysilicon and method for packaging polysilicon

Abstract

Reduction of contamination and the proportion of fines fractions in the packaging of rod form polysilicon is achieved by directly filling a plastic bag with polysilicon from a cleaning bowl by a rotating motion which causes polysilicon chunks to slide into the bag.

Claims

1. A polysilicon containing package, comprising a corrugated fiberboard container having an n-gonal cross section, wherein n=8 to 16, comprising a bottom, n=8 to 16 side walls, and a removable lid for closing the container, a double bag of plastic installed in the container having an interior comprising polysilicon, wherein polysilicon is positioned within the double bag of plastic in such a way that cylindrical and/or semicylindrical rod pieces made of polysilicon are arranged within the double bag adjacent the bottom and inner walls of the container, and the rod pieces so arranged surround polysilicon in the form of chunks.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein a packing density of polysilicon in the container is 900-1100 kg/m.sup.3.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the double bag is made of plastic films, each having a thickness of 100 to 200 m.

4. The container of claim 2, wherein the double bag is made of plastic films, each having a thickness of 100 to 200 m.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of a longer plastic bag is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

6. The container of claim 2, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of a longer plastic bag is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

7. The container of claim 3, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of a longer plastic bag is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

8. The container of claim 4, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of a longer plastic bag is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

9. A method for packaging polysilicon to produce a polysilicon-containing package of claim 1, comprising: providing polysilicon in the form of chunks and in the form of cylindrical and/or semicylindrical rod pieces, providing said container of corrugated fiberboard having an n-gonal cross section, wherein n=8 to 16, said container comprising a bottom, n=8 to 16 side walls and said removable lid for closing said container, said packaging comprising installing said double bag of plastic in said container, followed by filling the polysilicon into said double bag in such a way that said cylindrical and/or semicylindrical rod pieces made of polysilicon are arranged at said bottom and at said inner walls of the container, wherein said rod pieces surround said polysilicon in the form of chunks.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a packing density of polysilicon in the container is 1000-1100 kg/m.sup.3.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the double bag is made of plastic films each having a thickness of 100 to 200 m.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the double bag is made of plastic films each having a thickness of 100 to 200 m.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of the longer plastic bag of the two plastic bags is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of the longer plastic bag of the two plastic bags is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of the longer plastic bag of the two plastic bags is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the double bag comprises two plastic bags of different lengths, wherein excess film of the longer plastic bag of the two plastic bags is rolled up and secured to close the plastic bag.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows the octagonal cross section of a container.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a container with polysilicon comprising rod rounds (cylinders) arranged therein.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a container with polysilicon comprising semicylindrical rod pieces arranged therein.

(4) FIG. 4 illustrates an n-gonal container where n=8, the removable container lid, and rolled up and secured outer plastic bag.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-section of a container showing double plastic bags, one being longer than the other.

(6) The polysilicon to be packaged derives from comminuted polysilicon rods and preferably comprises chunks of different sizes.

(7) In addition, the polysilicon preferably comprises cylindrical or semicylindrical rod pieces.

(8) The packing density, i.e. the weight of the weighed-in polysilicon per unit inner volume of the container, is preferably 900-1300 kg/m.sup.3 and more preferably 1000-1100 kg/m.sup.3.

(9) The cross section of the container may, for example, be up to the area of a pallet on which the container will be shipped. In one embodiment the cross section of the container has been adapted to the size of standard chemical pallets. For example, standard (chemical) CP5 pallets having a cross section of 7601140 mm may be used.

(10) In one embodiment the container is employed for large chunks or whole rod pieces of up to 300 mm in diameter and up to 1.2 m in length. In one embodiment both chunks and rod pieces of different sizes are packaged in the container. This makes it possible to further increase the packing density.

(11) The following relates to a container having an n-gonal cross section where n=8. The features and embodiments thus described may be correspondingly applied to containers having an n-gonal cross section where n>8.

(12) In one embodiment the container comprises an octagonal bottom, eight side walls (of identical height) and an octagonal removable lid. In one embodiment the bottom and the lid have a slightly greater cross section so as to secure the side walls.

(13) Respective pairs of the eight side walls are parallel to one another and have the same dimensions, cf. also FIG. 1. The cross section/the bottom surface has the shape of a convex octagon.

(14) A container height of from 400 to 600 mm has proven particularly ergonomic. This allows the bottom of the container to be reached during manual loading and unloading without the operator having to bend over completely.

(15) The combination of the octagonal cross section of the bottom and the side walls with the octagonal lid ensures a particularly low level of bulging or buckling and a high compressive strength.

(16) It is preferable when the packaged polysilicon comprises chunks and cylindrical and semicylindrical rod pieces. In one embodiment chunks and cylindrical or semicylindrical rod pieces are packaged such that the round sides of semicylindrical rod pieces or the cylindrical rod pieces (rod rounds) are disposed at the inner surface of the container. There is no polysilicon, and no chunks, between the rod pieces disposed at the inner surface of the container and the inner surface/inner wall as packaged. The rod pieces may contact the inner wall of the container with their round side. Polysilicon in the form of chunks or rod pieces or both may have been arranged between the rod pieces disposed at the inner walls of the container.

(17) This embodiment provides the greatest possible puncture resistance while simultaneously avoiding relative movements of the chunks.

(18) Sharp-edged chunks are efficaciously prevented from even coming into contact with the bag film and/or the container inner wall. Puncturing of the film and/or the container inner wall would present a risk of contamination by foreign particles and adhering dust.

(19) The semicylindrical and cylindrical rod pieces surrounding the chunks also ensure firm securing of the inwardly disposed chunks so that the relative movements between chunks is contained, thus countering the formation of fines through impact comminution.

(20) In one embodiment, a double plastic bag having a film thickness of from 100 to 200 m in each case is installed in the container. It has been found that this represents an optimized solution in terms of puncture resistance and handleability taking account of packaging costs. It has been found that thicker films are less easily handleable/not handable in bulk containers and moreover do not fit the contours of the chunks so well, thereby increasing the puncture risk. Thinner films may tear too quickly.

(21) In one embodiment the opening of one of the two bags installed in the container ends at the height of the end of the side walls of the container while the second bag is of a length such that hermetic closing (welding, rolling/gathering together) of this second bag is possible.

(22) It will be appreciated that in another embodiment both bags may protrude above the height of the end of the side walls and be of identical or different lengths and both may be hermetically closed. The shorter of the two bags is not closed which results in less complexity.

(23) In one embodiment a bag is closed by rolling up the bag opening and securing it, for example with an adhesive tape.

(24) A bag closed in this way may be opened by the customer without tools and without risk of contamination of the polysilicon. In a further embodiment the bag is welded.

(25) The features cited in connection with the abovedescribed embodiments of the method according to the invention may be correspondingly applied to the apparatus according to the invention. Conversely, the features cited in connection with the abovedescribed embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention may be correspondingly applied to the method according to the invention. These and other features of the embodiments according to the invention are elucidated in the description of the figures and in the claims. The individual features may be realized either separately or in combination as embodiments of the invention. These features may further describe advantageous implementations eligible for protection in their own right.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS EMPLOYED

(26) 1 chunk 2 rod round 3 container 4 semicylindrical rod piece 5. removable lid 6. inner plastic bag 7. outer plastic bag 8. rolled up closure 9. securing tape

(27) The embodiments of the invention which follow refer to the dimensions a, b, c, d and e depicted in FIG. 1. The container comprises two parallel side walls of length b, two parallel side walls of length d and four diagonal side walls of length e. The length e may be calculated from the dimensions a and c.

(28) An overview of the dimensions of the cross sections of four exemplary embodiments of the invention is shown in Table 1.

(29) The ratios of the dimensions of the side walls to one another follow therefrom.

(30) In the embodiment according to example 1 the container comprises two long side walls of dimension d which is twice as long as the side walls of dimension b perpendicular to these side walls.
Thus, d=2*b.

(31) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 a b c d e example 1 0.5 1 0.5 2 0.71 example 2 0.5 1 0.75 1.5 0.90 example 3 0.25 1.5 0.25 2.5 0.35 example 4 0.75 0.5 0.75 1.5 1.06

(32) The four diagonal side walls of dimension e which connect the abovementioned side walls are shorter than the dimension b.
Thus, e=0.71*b.

(33) The side length ratios for examples 2-4 are derivable from table 1 in similar fashion. The length d may be up to three times the length b.

(34) The containers generally have two sides with d=1.52.5, two sides with b=0.51.5 and four sides with e=0.351.06.

(35) The containers have ideally been adapted to the sizes of standard chemical pallets.

(36) The aspect ratio I1/I2 of a pallet may be expressed as:
I1/I2=(2a+b)/(2c+d)

(37) Each of examples 1-4 gives rise to an aspect ratio I1/I2=2/3. This corresponds to the aspect ratio of a CP5 pallet.

(38) It will be appreciated that square pallets such as the CP3 chemical pallet (cross section 11401140 mm) may also be employed. In this case the aspect ratio is I1/I2=1. The side lengths reported in table 1 then require corresponding adaptation: for example dimension d may be reduced by 1 in each case.

(39) FIG. 2 shows an embodiment where both chunks 1 and rod rounds 2 have been arranged in the container 3.

(40) The rod rounds 2 have been arranged at the bottom and at the side walls of the container 3.

(41) The chunks 1 do not come into contact with the bottom and the side walls of the container 3.

(42) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment where both chunks 1 and semicylindrical rod pieces 4 have been arranged in the container 3.

(43) The semicylindrical rod pieces 4 have been arranged at the bottom and at the side walls of the container 3.

(44) The chunks 1 do not come into contact with the bottom and the side walls of the container 3.

(45) FIG. 4 shows an n-gonal container 3 where n=8, a removable lid 5 for closing the container, and inner bag 6 within outer bag 7. The outer bag 7 is rolled and secured by adhesive tape 9. FIG. 5 illustrates the container across section 5-5 prior to filling with polysilicon and closing, where two bags 6 and 7, which may have been separately introduced into the container or introduced as a prefabricated double bag, are within the container, the outer bag 7 being longer than the inner bag 6.

(46) The description hereinabove of illustrative embodiments is to be understood as being exemplary. The disclosure made thereby enables a person skilled in the art to understand the present invention and the advantages associated therewith and also encompasses alterations and modifications to the described structures and methods obvious to a person skilled in the art. All such alterations and modifications and also equivalents shall therefore be covered by the scope of protection of the claims.