Hydrofluoric Acid Production Uses Safety

General
Name	Hydrogen fluoride
Chemical formula	H F
Appearance	Colorless gas
Physical properties
Formula weight	20.1 amu
Melting point	190 K (-83 °C)
Boiling point	294 K (19.5 °C)
Density	0.97 ×10³ kg/ m³ (liquid)
Solubility	miscible with water
Thermochemistry
Δ_fH⁰_gas	? kJThe joule (symbol J also called newton metre or coulomb volt is the SI unit of energy and work. The unit is pronounced to rhyme with "tool", and is named in honour of the physicist James Prescott Joule (1818-1889). 1 joule 1 N · 1 m 1 newton · 1 metre 1 k/ molThe mole (symbol: mol) is one of the seven SI base units and is commonly used in chemistry. It measures the amount of substance of a system and is defined as the amount of substance that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in exactly 0
Δ_fH⁰_liquid	? kJ/mol
Δ_fH⁰_solid	? kJ/mol
S⁰_{gas, 1 bar}In chemistry, the standard molar entropy is the entropy content of one mole of substance, under conditions of standard temperature and pressure. By comparing the entropies of products and reactants in a chemical reaction, we can determine whether the reac	? J/mol·K
S⁰_{liquid, 1 bar}	? J/mol·K
S⁰_solid	? J/mol·K
Safety
Ingestion	Toxic, most likely fatal.
Inhalation	Highly toxic, most likely fatal, non-fatal doses can result in pulmonary edema.
Skin	Most likely fatal, absorbs through skin to cause nerve, bone and organ damage.
Eyes	Extremely dangerous, high chance of blindness.
SIThe International System of Units (symbol: SI (for the French phrase Systeme International d'Unites , is the most widely used system of units. It is used for everyday commerce in virtually every country of the world except the United States, and it is uni units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used. Disclaimer and references

Hydrofluoric acid is a highly corrosive solutionsolvent soluble and solubility equilibrium''. table salt in water In chemistry, a solution is one or more substance (the solute) dissolved in another substance (the solvent) forming a homogenous mixture. A common example would be a solid dissolving into a of the chemical compound hydrogen fluoride in water. Pure hydrogen fluoride is often called anhydrous hydrofluoric acid. Paradoxically, though in chemical terms hydrofluoric acid is a weak acid, it has the unique ability to dissolve almost all inorganic oxides. As such, it must be stored in plastic containers, though ideally it should be stored in teflon bottles. In the human body, hydrofluoric acid reacts with calcium and damages nerves, bone, and several organs including the heart and kidneys.

Initial treatment to hydrofluoric acid exposure usually involves applying calcium gluconate gel to the exposed areas. If exposure is high, or too much time has passed, a calcium solution may be injected directly into a local artery or surrounding tissues. In all cases, hydrofluoric acid exposure requires immediate professional medical attention.

1 Production

Industrially, hydrofluoric acid is produced from the mineral fluorspar, also known as calcium fluoride ( chemical formula CaF₂) and concentrated sulfuric acid. When combined at 250°C, these two substances react to produce hydrogen fluoride according to the chemical equation

CaF₂ + H₂SO₄ → 2 HF + CaSO₄

The vapors from this reaction are a mixture of hydrogen fluoride, sulfuric acid, and a few minor byproducts, from which hydrogen fluoride can be isolated by distillation.

2 Uses

Hydrofluoric acid's ability to dissolve oxides makes it important in the purification of both aluminium and uranium. It is also used to etch glass, to remove surface oxides from silicon in the semiconductor industry, as a catalyst for the alkylation of iso-butane and butene in oil refineries and to remove oxide impurities from stainless steel in a process called pickling.

Hydrofluoric acid is also used in the synthesis of many fluorine-containing organic compounds, including teflon and refrigerants such as freon.

3 Safety

In the body, hydrofluoric acid reacts with calcium and magnesium ions and can disable organs whose proper function depends on these metal ions. Exposure to hydrofluoric acid may not be initially painful, and symptoms may not occur until several hours later, when the acid begins to react with calcium in the bones. If left untreated, hydrofluoric acid exposure can result in severe or even lethal damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, and nerves.

Exposure of less than 10% of the body can be fatal, even with immediate medical treatment. [1]

Acids

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Home > Hydrofluoric acid

1 Production

2 Uses

3 Safety

Topics: Hydrofluoric Acid, Production, Uses, Safety...