Hydrogen fluoride

Hydrogen fluoride is an inorganic compound with chemical formula HF. It is a colorless gas or liquid that dissolves in water to yield hydrofluoric acid and fumes strongly in air (hydrofluoric acid fumes rising being lighter than air). It is the principal industrial source of fluorine, often in the form of hydrofluoric acid, and is an important feedstock in the preparation of many important compounds including pharmaceuticals and polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). HF is also widely used in the petrochemical industry as a component of superacids. Due to strong and extensive hydrogen bonding, it boils near room temperature, a much higher temperature than other hydrogen halides. Hydrogen fluoride is an extremely dangerous gas. It readily forms the highly corrosive hydrofluoric acid upon contact with moisture. The gas can also cause blindness by rapid destruction of the corneas.