Patent ID: 8034989

Claim:
A process comprising: (a) providing a mixture comprising: (i) a halogen-containing compound of the general formula RX (n) wherein R represents a moiety comprising at least one carbon atom, each X independently represents a halogen-containing moiety, wherein at least one X contains a halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine and chlorine, and n is a positive integer, and wherein the halogen-containing compound has at least one carbon-halogen bond selected from the group consisting of carbon-fluorine and carbon-chlorine bonds; and (ii) a base component comprising at least one atom selected from Groups IA to VIA, transition metals, lanthanides and actinides of the Periodic Table of the Elements, excluding aluminum and aluminum oxide; and (b) initiating a thermite reaction in proximity to the mixture such that the halogen-containing compound and the base component react to form a metal halide of the metal of the base component and the halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine and chlorine.