Patent ID: 8846879

Claim:
A process for the preparation of an anhydrous rare-earth halide of the formula SEHal 3 , wherein SE is Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb or Lu; and Hal is Cl, Br or I, comprising the steps of reacting a rare-earth oxide SE 2 O 3 in a polar aprotic solvent with a halogenating agent of formula MHalX 1 X 2 X 3 in the presence of a lithium salt LiY, wherein M is Si, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr or Hf; Hal is as defined above; X 1 , X 2 and X 3 are independently of one another Cl, Br, I, H, alkoxide of formula —OR, wherein R is an organic radical having 1 to 20 C atoms, alkyl having 1-20 C atoms or aryl having 6-20 C atoms, wherein the alkyl or aryl radical can be substituted with a halogen selected from the group comprising Cl, Br and I, and Y is Hal, SO 4 , SO 2 , CN, SCN, NCO, HalO n wherein n is 3 or 4, NO 3 , BF 4 or PF 6 , wherein Hal is as defined above, to form the anhydrous rare-earth halide of the formula SEHal 3 .