Sodium fluoride
Description
A colorless, odorless, poisonous solid. Sodium fluoride is used in very dilute solutions for the fluoridation of water. In more concentrated forms, such as a 7% solution, sodium fluoride is used as an insecticide (cockroaches, ants), rodenticide, fungicide, and preservative for paint, wood, masonry, plaster, and zoological specimens. Single crystals of sodium fluoride are used as ultraviolet and infrared transmitting windows in scientific instruments. It is also used as a flux for ceramic glazes and glass. Aqueous solutions are used to etch glass since sodium fluoride forms hydrofluoric acid when dissolved in water .
Synonyms and Related Terms
fluorol; floridine; sodium monofluoride; disodium difluoride; natrium fluoride; Florocid Chemifluor; Dentalfluoro; Fluoros; Osmose
Other Properties
Soluble in water. Insoluble in ethanol. Crystals are cubic or tetragonal.
| Composition | NaF |
|---|---|
| CAS | 7681-49-4 |
| Melting Point | 988-993 |
| Density | 2.56-2.78 |
| Molecular Weight | mol. wt. = 41.99 |
| Boiling Point | 1695-1704 |
Hazards and Safety
Extremely toxic by ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption. Skin contact causes irritation and burns.
Mallinckrodt Baker: MSDS
Authority
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 414
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986
- Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979
- Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 8762
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998