Patent ID: 8821825

Claim:
A process for producing silane from a source of alkali or alkaline earth metal halide salt, the process comprising: electrolyzing an alkali or alkaline earth metal halide salt to produce metallic alkali or alkaline earth metal and halogen gas; contacting the metallic alkali or alkaline earth-metal with hydrogen to produce an alkali or alkaline earth metal hydride; producing a halogenated silicon feed gas comprising at least one halosilane selected from the group consisting of silicon tetrahalide, trihalosilane, dihalosilane and monohalosilane by contacting the halogen gas with at least one of: (1) silicon to produce silicon tetrahalide; and (2) hydrogen to produce a hydrogen halide, wherein the hydrogen halide is further contacted with silicon to produce a mixture comprising silicon tetrahalide and trihalosilane; and contacting the halogenated silicon feed gas with the alkali or alkaline earth metal hydride to produce silane and an alkali or alkaline earth-metal halide salt, the halogenated silicon feed gas being introduced into a disproportionation system prior to contacting the halogenated feed gas with the alkali or alkaline earth metal hydride.