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Glite Dictionary
hydrogen fluoride

hydrogen fluoride

1 7.6
A colorless poisonous corrosive liquid used in industry that forms hydrofluoric acid in water
  • noun
  • /ˈhaɪdrədʒən ˈflʊəraɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fluoruro de hidrógeno
  • Hydrogen fluoride gas is an acute poison that may immediately and permanently damage the lungs and the corneas of the eyes.

Examples

  • Fluorine reacts with the moisture in the air to produce hydrogen fluoride.

    Academic text (1993)

  • DIAGRAM: Figure 1. Vulnerable zones for hydrogen fluoride and fluorine.

    Academic text (1993)

  • About a half-mile radius is estimated for fluorine, but the product of the reaction, hydrogen fluoride, requires 9.0 miles based on the EPA-listed LOC.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Hydrogen fluoride is used in the production of fluorine compounds in various industrial processes.

  • Exposure to hydrogen fluoride can lead to severe health effects, including damage to the eyes and lungs.

  • Due to its corrosive nature, hydrogen fluoride must be handled with extreme caution in laboratory settings.

Synonyms

hydrofluoric acid
vshydrogen fluoride
  • Specialized
4 7.4

A dangerous chemical that eats away glass and can burn skin

is the pure corrosive compound that forms the acid when mixed with water

Surface Forms

hydrogen fluoride singular
hydrogen fluorides plural

Morphology

hydrogen + fluoride

This is a canonical chemical compound name formed compositionally from 'hydrogen' + 'fluoride', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a substance containing hydrogen and fluoride (HF). Specific technical properties (corrosive, poisonous, forms hydrofluoric acid) are specialist knowledge and not deducible, but the basic referent is transparently predictable.

Etymology

Hydrogen fluoride is a plain name that tells you what it is: hydrogen, linked with 'water', and fluoride, the form of fluorine whose name comes from a rock once used to help things flow. So the name shows this chemical is a combination of hydrogen and fluorine and explains why it makes 'hydrofluoric acid' when it meets 'water'.