Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water. It is a precursor to almost all fluorine compounds, including pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine (Prozac), diverse materials such as PTFE (Tef
Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in water. It is a precursor to almost all fluorine compounds, including pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine (Prozac), diverse materials such as PTFE (Teflon), and elemental fluorine itself. It is a colourless solution that is highly corrosive, capable of dissolving many materials, especially oxides. Its ability to dissolve glass has been known since the 17th century, even before Carl Wilhelm Scheele prepared it in large quantities in 1771. Because of its high reactivity toward glass and moderate reactivity toward many metals, hydrofluoric acid is usually stored in plastic containers (although PTFE is slightly permeable to it).
3D model (JSmol)
|Molar mass||not applicable
(see hydrogen fluoride)
|Density||1.15 g/mL (for 48% soln.)|
|Melting point||Not applicable
(see hydrogen fluoride)
|Boiling point||Not applicable
(see hydrogen fluoride)
|Safety data sheet||duPont MSDS|
|R-phrases (outdated)||R26/27/28, R35|
|S-phrases (outdated)||(S1