Development Status And Prospect Of Hydrofluoric Acid

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is an inorganic acid composed of hydrogen and fluorine. Hydrofluoric acid is a dangerous chemical because of its strong corrosiveness and easy harm to human body and environment. In addition, due to the scarcity of raw material fluorite, the fluorine-containing slag in the production process is polluted and harmful to the environment, so the entry threshold of hydrofluoric acid industry is high and the production requirements are strict. It is widely used in industry in various fields, including chemical production, metal corrosion treatment, glass processing, pharmaceutical and so on.

Hydrofluoric acid can be divided into industrial hydrofluoric acid and electronic hydrofluoric acid according to its purity and application. Industrial grade hydrofluoric acid is prepared from acid grade fluorite powder and sulfuric acid. Industrial grade hydrofluoric acid is strictly controlled and restricted, while electronic grade hydrofluoric acid is contrary to the trend.

Regarding the development and prospects of hydrofluoric acid, the following are some important aspects:

1.Industrial applications: Hydrofluoric acid is an important catalyst and intermediate in many chemical reactions. It is used in the manufacture of fluoride compounds, such as hydrogen fluoride gases, fluorocarbons and fluoropolymers. These compounds are widely used in pharmaceutical, agriculture, plastics, synthetic fibers and other fields.

2.Metal corrosion treatment: Hydrofluoric acid can be used as a metal surface treatment agent to remove oxides and contaminants, and to purify metal surfaces. It has important applications in the manufacture of electronic devices, auto parts and other metal products.

3.Glass processing: Hydrofluoric acid is widely used in the glass industry. It can corrode the surface of glass to produce glass products of different shapes and patterns, such as acid etching, carved glass and decorative glass.

4.Pharmaceutical industry: Hydrofluoric acid is used as catalyst and solvent in the pharmaceutical industry. It can facilitate the synthesis of certain drugs and is used in the preparation of fluorine-containing compounds that are essential for the activity and stability of some drugs.

Regarding the prospects of hydrofluoric acid, here are some possible trends:

5.Green chemistry: As demands for environmental protection and sustainability increase, researchers are looking for green solutions to replace traditional hydrofluoric acid. There are already environmentally friendly alternatives under development, such as inorganic salt solutions and organic acids.

6.Safety improvement: Hydrofluoric acid is a strong acid that is highly corrosive and toxic. In the future, the researchers will work on improving the safety of hydrofluoric acid, finding safer alternatives or developing more effective methods of safe operation.

7.New applications: With the development of science and technology, hydrofluoric acid may find use in new applications. Electronic grade hydrofluoric acid is mainly used in integrated circuits, liquid crystal panels and solar cell production. At present, the preparation of high purity hydrofluoric acid in the world is basically made from industrial hydrofluoric acid and anhydrous hydrofluoric acid through rough distillation, rectification, absorption, condensation, membrane filtration, filling and other sections. Electronic grade hydrofluoric acid market growth is expected to accelerate in China. 2020 global electronic grade hydrofluoric acid market scale still reach 321 million dollars, to 2027 market scale is expected to reach 476 million dollars, CAGR5.80%, and 2027 China electronic grade hydrofluoric acid market will reach 100 million dollars, CAGR8.80%, Faster than the global average.