Hydrogen Fluoride – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the seventh in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on hydrogen fluoride.   The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.

Uses.  Uses of hydrogen fluoride include:

Ø  As a feedstock in synthesizing fluorine-containing compounds and polymers;

Ø  In the semiconductor industry;

Ø  In making, cutting, and polishing glass;

Ø  In treating various metal surfaces;

Ø  In aluminum production;

Ø  In gasoline production;

Ø  In manufacturing/reprocessing nuclear fuel elements;

Ø  In various chemical production processing; and

Ø  As a source of fluorine.

Two forms of hydrogen fluoride are in use – anhydrous and aqueous.  Both are very reactive and need to be handled cautiously and in special containers. 

Prices.  2019 global prices for hydrogen fluoride were in the $1,000 to $2,000 per metric ton (mt) range, with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride selling at higher prices.

Production.  Hydrogen fluoride is produced from the mineral fluorspar (calcium fluoride) by reacting sulfuric acid with fluorspar.

Internet sources suggest that approximately 2 million metric tons of hydrogen fluoride were produced in 2019.  This indicates that revenues generated by hydrogen fluoride sales in 2019 ranged from $2 billion ($1,000 price – see prices above – times 2 million mt production) to $4 billion ($2,000 price – see prices above – times 2 million mt production).

An earlier blog on fluorine can be read by clicking here.