Hydrofluoric Acid

The Hydrofluoric Acid (IUPAC name: hydrogen fluoride) is a strong mineral acid: it is one of the few corrosive agents that can corrode glass, so it is stocked and used in polyethylene or tflon containers that can resist to the highly corrosive action of this acid.

The hydrofluoric acid is obtained by the action that sulphuric acid has on mineral fluorides

CaF2 + H2SO4 -> 2 HF + CaSO4

It is used to prepare fluorinated hydrocarbon (freon e teflon among the other), synthetic cryolite (Na3AlF6) and uranium hexfluoride (UF6), compound used to enrich uranium for centrifugation.
It is also a raw material used to produce fluorine (F2) for electrolysis.
Thanks to its ability to melt almost every oxide it is used to removetraces of oxide from metal surfaces. The solutions of hydrofluoric acid are mostly used in the inorganic sector, especially because of their ability in melting silicate.
The anhydrous acid both liquid and gas is used in organic chemistry. It is also used as a catalyst of alkylation, isomerization, condensation, dehydration e polymerization. It is used as a fluorinating agent in inorganic and organic reactions. The aqueous solutions of hydrofluoric acid are used to produce the different metal fluorides; they are used to engrave, to eat into every form of glass and baked clay. It is used to purify the graphite and the paper. It is used as a antifermentative, antiseptic and to check on fermentations. It is used to produce the synthetic cryolite, fluoborate, fluosilicate. It is used as a salt solver. It is used in the electrocleaning of metals and in the cleaning of metal casts. It is used in the working, separation and purification of raw mineral oils. In the sector of organic synthesis (in wich anhydrous acid is used) the fluorinated by-products of the hydrocarbons are particularly important and they are used in solvents and in insecticides. The hydrofluoric acid is used to attack metals and to produce the AlF3. It is used as an additive in propellant liquids for rockets. It is used to refine the uranium.

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