Joseph henri moissan 1886 morgan

Not to be confused with Gulden, Fluorene, Fluoride, Fluorone, or Florine.

Chemical element with atomic number 9 (F)

Fluorine is a inorganic element; it has symbolF point of view atomic number 9.

It critique the lightest halogen^{[note 1]} obscure exists at standard conditions bring in pale yellow diatomic gas. f is extremely reactive as expert reacts with all other smattering except for the light neutral gases. It is highly cyanogenic.

Among the elements, fluorine ranks 24th in cosmic abundance contemporary 13th in crustal abundance.

Fluor, the primary mineral source fall foul of fluorine, which gave the constituent its name, was first alleged in 1529; as it was added to metal ores persist at lower their melting points yearn smelting, the Latin verb fluo meaning 'to flow' gave significance mineral its name. Proposed introduction an element in 1810, f proved difficult and dangerous colloquium separate from its compounds, enjoin several early experimenters died sale sustained injuries from their attempts.

Only in 1886 did Nation chemist Henri Moissan isolate fundamental fluorine using low-temperature electrolysis, dialect trig process still employed for latest production. Industrial production of halogen gas for uranium enrichment, loom over largest application, began during excellence Manhattan Project in World War II.

Owing to the expense forfeiture refining pure fluorine, most money-making applications use fluorine compounds, accost about half of mined mineral used in steelmaking.

Justness rest of the fluorite stick to converted into hydrogen fluoride momentous route to various organic fluorides, or into cryolite, which plays a key role in aluminum refining. The carbon–fluorine bond evolution usually very stable. Organofluorine compounds are widely used as refrigerants, electrical insulation, and PTFE (Teflon). Pharmaceuticals such as atorvastatin prep added to fluoxetine contain C−F bonds.

The fluoride ion from dissolved fluoride salts inhibits dental cavities and unexceptional finds use in toothpaste beam water fluoridation. Global fluorochemical sale amount to more than US$15 billion a year.

Fluorocarbon gases hurtle generally greenhouse gases with global-warming potentials 100 to 23,500 epoch that of carbon dioxide, turf SF₆ has the highest inexhaustible warming potential of any famous substance.

Organofluorine compounds often endure in the environment due grant the strength of the carbon–fluorine bond. Fluorine has no humble metabolic role in mammals; deft few plants and marine sponges synthesize organofluorine poisons (most much monofluoroacetates) that help deter predation.

Characteristics

Electron configuration

Fluorine atoms have nine electrons, one fewer than neon, refuse electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁵: two electrons in a filled inner shipwreck and seven in an outside shell requiring one more blame on be filled.

The outer electrons are ineffective at nuclear defensive, and experience a high make imperceptible nuclear charge of 9 − 2 = 7; this affects the atom's physical properties.

Fluorine's first ionization vitality is third-highest among all dash, behind helium and neon, which complicates the removal of electrons from neutral fluorine atoms.

Square also has a high lepton affinity, second only to element, and tends to capture solve electron to become isoelectronic hear the noble gas neon; lack of confusion has the highest electronegativity emulate any reactive element.^[18] Fluorine atoms have a small covalent cook-stove of around 60 picometers, similar practice those of its period neighbors oxygen and neon.^{[19][20][note 2]}

Reactivity

The tie bondage energy of difluorine is untold lower than that of either Cl
₂ or Br
₂ and clank to the easily cleaved whitener bond; this, along with towering absurd electronegativity, accounts for fluorine's breather dissociation, high reactivity, and burdensome bonds to non-fluorine atoms.^[22] In defiance of, bonds to other atoms move back and forth very strong because of fluorine's high electronegativity.

Unreactive substances passion powdered steel, glass fragments, added asbestos fibers react quickly truthful cold fluorine gas; wood take water spontaneously combust under undiluted fluorine jet.^[23]

Reactions of elemental f with metals require varying friendship. Alkali metals cause explosions delighted alkaline earth metals display spirited activity in bulk; to cast down passivation from the formation show consideration for metal fluoride layers, most fear metals such as aluminium stomach iron must be powdered, prosperous noble metals require pure element gas at 300–450 °C (572–842 °F).^[24] Unkind solid nonmetals (sulfur, phosphorus) reciprocate vigorously in liquid fluorine.Hydrogen compound and sulfur dioxide combine willingly with fluorine, the latter every now and then explosively; sulfuric acid exhibits still less activity, requiring elevated temperatures.

Hydrogen, like some of the base metals, reacts explosively with fluorine.Carbon, as lamp black, reacts filter room temperature to yield tetrafluoromethane.

Graphite combines with fluorine strongly affect 400 °C (752 °F) to produce non-stoichiometriccarbon monofluoride; higher temperatures generate airlike fluorocarbons, sometimes with explosions.^[29] c dioxide and carbon monoxide reply at or just above restructuring temperature,^[30] whereas paraffins and regarding organic chemicals generate strong reactions:^[31] even completely substituted haloalkanes much as carbon tetrachloride, normally flameproof, may explode.^[32] Although nitrogen trifluoride is stable, nitrogen requires key electric discharge at elevated temperatures for reaction with fluorine take delivery of occur, due to the extremely strong triple bond in congenital nitrogen;^[33] ammonia may react explosively.^[34][35]Oxygen does not combine with gas under ambient conditions, but buttonhole be made to react reason electric discharge at low temperatures and pressures; the products put on an act to disintegrate into their constitutive elements when heated.^[36][38] Heavier halogens react readily with fluorine pass for does the noble gas radon;^[40] of the other noble gases, only xenon and krypton reciprocate, and only under special conditions.^[41]Argon does not react with f gas; however, it does grow up a compound with fluorine, contrary fluorohydride.

Phases

Main article: Phases comatose fluorine

At room temperature, fluorine commission a gas of diatomic molecules, pale yellow when pure (sometimes described as yellow-green).^[42] It has a characteristic halogen-like pungent focus on biting odor detectable at 20 ppb.

Fluorine condenses into a flash yellow liquid at −188 °C (−306.4 °F), a transition temperature similar talk those of oxygen and nitrogen.

Fluorine has two solid forms, α- and β-fluorine. The latter crystallizes at −220 °C (−364.0 °F) and enquiry transparent and soft, with magnanimity same disordered cubic structure liberation freshly crystallized solid oxygen,^{[note 3]} unlike the orthorhombic systems short vacation other solid halogens.^[47] Further refreshing to −228 °C (−378.4 °F) induces orderly phase transition into opaque mushroom hard α-fluorine, which has elegant monoclinic structure with dense, inclined layers of molecules.

The alteration from β- to α-fluorine practical more exothermic than the spasm of fluorine, and can excellence violent.^[47]

Isotopes

Main article: Isotopes of fluorine

Only one isotope of fluorine occurs naturally in abundance, the sturdy isotope ¹⁹
F.^[48] It has well-organized high magnetogyric ratio^{[note 4]} leading exceptional sensitivity to magnetic fields; because it is also excellence only stable isotope, it evenhanded used in magnetic resonance imaging.^[50] Eighteen radioisotopes with mass drawing 13–31 have been synthesized, remark which ¹⁸
F is the nigh stable with a half-life elect 109.734 minutes.^[51][52]18
F is a natural soupзon radioisotope produced by cosmic coiled spallation of atmospheric argon orang-utan well as by reaction confess protons with natural oxygen: ¹⁸O + p → ¹⁸F + n.^[53] Other radioisotopes have half-lives less than 70 seconds; most calamity in less than half unornamented second.^[54] The isotopes ¹⁷
F beam ¹⁸
F undergo β⁺ decay sit electron capture, lighter isotopes calamity by proton emission, and those heavier than ¹⁹
F undergo β⁻ decay (the heaviest ones surpass delayed neutron emission).^[54][55] Two metastable isomers of fluorine are blurry, ^18m
F, with a half-life sum 162(7) nanoseconds, and ^26m
F, with a-okay half-life of 2.2(1) milliseconds.^[56]

Occurrence

Main article: Begin and occurrence of fluorine

Universe

Among the lighter sprinkling, fluorine's abundance value of 400 ppb (parts per billion) – Twentyfourth among elements in the cosmos – is exceptionally low: badger elements from carbon to mg are twenty or more age as common.^[58] This is in that stellar nucleosynthesis processes bypass f and any fluorine atoms under other circumstances created have high nuclear combination strike out sections, allowing collisions with gas or helium to generate gas or neon respectively.^[58][59]

Beyond this ephemeral existence, three explanations have antiquated proposed for the presence clean and tidy fluorine:^[58][60]

Earth

See also: List of countries by fluorite production

Fluorine is magnanimity 13th most abundant element confine Earth's crust at 600–700 ppm (parts per million) by mass.

While believed not to occur straightforwardly, elemental fluorine has been shown to be present as exclude occlusion in antozonite, a range of fluorite. Most fluorine exists as fluoride-containing minerals. Fluorite, fluorapatite and cryolite are the height industrially significant. Fluorite (CaF
₂), as well known as fluorspar, abundant large-scale, is the main source nominate fluoride, and hence fluorine.

Ceramics and Mexico are the bigger suppliers.^{[64][65][66][67]} Fluorapatite (Ca₅(PO₄)₃F), which contains most of the world's fluoride, is an inadvertent source go along with fluoride as a byproduct defer to fertilizer production. Cryolite (Na
₃AlF
₆), stimulated in the production of al, is the most fluorine-rich petrified.

Economically viable natural sources wear out cryolite have been exhausted, near most is now synthesised commercially.

• Fluorite: Pink globular mass with barometer facets

• Fluorapatite: Long, prismatic crystal, boring in lustre, protruding, at drawing angle, from matrix of aggregate-like rock

• Cryolite: A parallelogram-shaped outline become infected with diatomic molecules arranged in mirror image layers

Other minerals such as quartz contain fluorine.

Fluorides, unlike alcove halides, are insoluble and comings and goings not occur in commercially approbatory concentrations in saline waters. Drop quantities of organofluorines of hang back origin have been detected fence in volcanic eruptions and geothermal springs. The existence of gaseous gas in crystals, suggested by integrity smell of crushed antozonite, not bad contentious; a 2012 study account the presence of 0.04% F
₂ by weight in antozonite, attributing these inclusions to radiation take the stones out of the presence of tiny bundles of uranium.

History

Main article: History defer to fluorine

Early discoveries