Fluorochemicals are chemicals that contain the element fluorine. They have numerous different applications in a variety of industries. Fluorine is becoming more widely used due to its useful chemical properties. Fluorine is a powerful oxidizing agent. It is the most electronegative of all elements, and readily forms compounds with most elements. In particular, fluorine binds strongly to carbon, forming a very stable covalent bond.
Common Uses of Fluorochemicals
Perhaps the best-known use of fluorochemicals is seen in the addition of fluoride to drinking water, to help prevent tooth decay. Compounds such as sodium fluoride, and sodium monofluorophosphate also added to toothpastes to achieve a similar effect.
In the form of hydrofluoric acid, fluorine has been used to etch glass for several centuries. In fact, the earliest known use of hydrofluoric acid for this purposes dates back to approximately 1670. One notable modern use of hydrofluoric acid in this way is in the etching of glass lightbulbs.
Fluorochemicals are also notorious for their use in a wide variety of compounds known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. For example,...