Hydrogen fluoride

Hydrogen fluoride (HF) is a colorless compound of hydrogen and fluorine that occurs as a gas or dissolved in water. It is highly corrosive and can penetrate tissue, making exposure especially dangerous.

Hydrogen bonding: An attraction between a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. Strong hydrogen bonding helps give liquid HF unusual physical properties.
Glass etching: A process that uses chemical etchants to remove or texture glass surfaces. HF etches glass by reacting with its silica network.
Chemical burn: Tissue damage caused by contact with a corrosive chemical. HF exposure can cause deep chemical burns that may not hurt immediately.
Hydrogen halides: Binary compounds formed by hydrogen and a halogen, including HF, HCl, HBr, and HI. HF belongs to this family but differs sharply in acid strength and intermolecular bonding.
Hydrofluoric acid: Aqueous hydrogen fluoride, a weak acid that is highly corrosive and toxic. Dissolving HF in water produces the form commonly encountered in industrial and laboratory exposures.
Silicon wafer: A thin, polished slice of crystalline silicon used as a substrate for microelectronic devices. HF removes native silicon dioxide from wafer surfaces during semiconductor processing.
Fluoride poisoning: Illness caused by excessive absorption of fluoride into the body. HF can cause systemic poisoning as fluoride disrupts calcium and magnesium balance.
Fluorine: The chemical element with atomic number 9, the most electronegative element. Fluorine’s extreme electronegativity shapes the HF bond and its reactivity.
Fluoride ion: The negatively charged fluorine ion, F⁻, formed when a fluorine atom gains an electron. Fluoride released from HF binds calcium and magnesium in the body.
Alkylation: A chemical reaction that adds an alkyl group to a molecule. HF can serve as a catalyst in petroleum-refining alkylation units.

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