hydrogen fluoride
Noun: 1. A colorless, poisonous, corrosive chemical compound: Hydrogen fluoride is a chemical compound composed of hydrogen and fluorine. It is a highly dangerous substance in its pure form, typically existing as a colorless gas or fuming liquid. It is extremely corrosive and toxic. 2. The precursor to hydrofluoric acid: When hydrogen fluoride gas is dissolved in water, it forms hydrofluoric acid.
- As a specific chemical compound:
- Workers must wear specialized protective equipment when handling hydrogen fluoride.
- The industrial production of hydrogen fluoride often involves treating fluorspar (calcium fluoride) with sulfuric acid.
- Highlighting its properties:
- The extreme corrosiveness of hydrogen fluoride requires storage in specialized containers.
- A leak of hydrogen fluoride poses a severe inhalation hazard.
- In industrial contexts: Hydrogen fluoride is a critical industrial chemical used in the production of refrigerants, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, and high-octane gasoline (alkylation process). It is also essential for etching glass and silicon in the electronics industry.
- The plant uses large quantities of hydrogen fluoride in its alkylation unit.
- Hydrofluoric acid (HF(aq)) (noun): The aqueous (water-based) solution of hydrogen fluoride gas. This is the form commonly encountered in laboratories and industry.
- Hydrofluoric acid is used for etching glassware in laboratories.
- Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (AHF) (noun): The pure, water-free form of hydrogen fluoride.
- Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is transported as a liquefied gas.
- HF (noun): The standard chemical formula and abbreviation for hydrogen fluoride.
- Fluorane (noun): A systematic but less common name for the compound.
The term "hydrogen fluoride" primarily refers to the pure chemical compound (HF). In common usage, especially in industrial and laboratory settings, the distinction between the pure compound and its acidic solution in water is often blurred, with "hydrogen fluoride" sometimes used informally to refer to hydrofluoric acid. However, strictly speaking, "hydrofluoric acid" is the correct term for the aqueous solution.
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a colorless poisonous corrosive liquid made by the action of sulphuric acid on calcium fluoride; solutions in water are hydrofluoric acid
