Fluorine Properties

Description

Fluorine is the most electronegative and reactive of all elements. Natural fluorine is monoisotopic, consisting of fluorine-19. It has found uses in studies of protein structures and conformational changes. Elemental fluorine is occasionally used as a fluorinating agent in industrial processes. The largest use for elemental fluorine is preparing uranium hexafluoride, used in the production of nuclear fuels. Other than those, elemental fluorine is used for the production of tetrafluoromethane, plasma etching in semiconductor manufacturing, flat panel display production, and microelectromechanical systems fabrication. Inorganic fluorides and organofluorine compounds, a fraction of which are prepared from elemental fluorine, find use in a variety of materials and chemicals, including important pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, lubricants, and textiles. Hydrofluoric acid and certain fluoride-containing salts are useful etchants for glass. In the electrolysis of the metal and its purification, it acts to lower the melting point of aluminium oxide and acts like a powerful flux for glass. Perfluorooctanoic acid and tetrafluoroethylene are directly used in water resistant coatings and in the production of low friction plastics such as Teflon, or PTFE. Other fluorine-based compounds are used in the production of haloalkanes such as chlorofluorocarbons, which are used extensively in air conditioning and in refrigeration. They have been banned for these applications because they contribute to ozone destruction.