Potassium Fluoride
An inorganic fluoride salt supplied in anhydrous and spray-dried grades as the fluorine source for halex fluorination and other industrial fluorination chemistry.
What is Potassium Fluoride?
Potassium Fluoride is a white, strongly hygroscopic crystalline salt. Unlike everything else in this range it is not an aromatic compound at all — it is an ionic solid whose value lies entirely in the fluoride ion it delivers.
In halogen exchange, or halex, chemistry that fluoride displaces chlorine from an activated aromatic ring at high temperature in a polar aprotic solvent. This is the industrial route to most fluoroaromatics, including the trifluoronitrobenzenes and fluorinated anilines elsewhere in this range.
At Chelora Chemicals, KF is supplied anhydrous and, on request, spray-dried to maximise surface area and reactivity. Because water deactivates fluoride by hydrating it, the moisture specification is not a formality — it is the single figure that most determines whether a halex reaction works.
- Appearance
- White crystalline powder or granules
- Odour
- Odourless
- Solubility
- Very soluble in water; slightly soluble in HF
- Function
- Fluorinating agent / fluoride source
- Grade
- Anhydrous, spray-dried
Formula diagram
An ionic salt: potassium cation and fluoride anion
- Molecular formulaKF
- Molecular weight58.10 g/mol
- IUPAC namePotassium fluoride
- BondingIonic
- CAS number7789-23-3
Technical product information
Standard specification for Chelora Chemicals' anhydrous and spray-dried Potassium Fluoride. Custom-grade and bulk specifications are available on request.
| Chemical name | Potassium Fluoride |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | KF, Potassium fluoride anhydrous, Spray-dried KF |
| CAS number | 7789-23-3 |
| Molecular formula | KF |
| Molecular weight | 58.10 g/mol |
| Assay (KF) | ≥ 98.0% |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder or granules |
| Melting point | 858°C |
| Boiling point | 1505°C |
| Bulk density | Grade dependent — specify on enquiry |
| Loss on drying | ≤ 0.5% (anhydrous grade) |
| Chloride (Cl) | ≤ 0.1% |
| Packaging | 25 kg bags, 500 kg jumbo bags, sealed drums |
| Shelf life | 24 months in sealed original packaging |
Applications of Potassium Fluoride
Halex fluorination
Displaces activated aromatic chlorine to give fluoroaromatics — the industrial route to fluorinated nitrobenzenes and anilines.
Fluorinating agent
Serves as a nucleophilic fluoride source across pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis.
Catalysis & base duty
Used as a mild base and phase-transfer partner in condensation and elimination chemistry.
Glass & metal treatment
Applied in etching, frosting, and metal surface treatment formulations.
Fluxes & metallurgy
Used in soldering, brazing, and specialty metallurgical flux systems.
Electrolyte & specialty chemicals
Feeds fluorochemical and electrochemical manufacturing where a soluble fluoride is required.
Why choose Chelora Chemicals
Every batch of Potassium Fluoride is manufactured, tested, and documented to a standard that formulators and process chemists can build on with confidence — from first sample to full production volume.
Consistent purity
Assay controlled at ≥98% with moisture and chloride verified before dispatch.
Full documentation
COA, SDS, and regulatory data supplied with every shipment.
Flexible volumes
From 25 kg bags to jumbo bags and full container loads.
Technical support
Process, handling, and compliance guidance from our chemistry team.
Storage and guidelines
- 01Store in tightly sealed original packaging — the product is strongly hygroscopic and picks up atmospheric moisture rapidly.
- 02Keep in a cool, dry, well-ventilated store; humidity control matters more here than temperature.
- 03Segregate strictly from acids — contact liberates hydrogen fluoride, which is acutely dangerous.
- 04Do not store in glass. Fluoride attacks glass and silica; use polyethylene, polypropylene, or lined containers.
- 05Keep bags palletised, off the floor, and re-seal opened packaging immediately.
- 06Store in a locked or access-controlled area away from food, feed, and drinking water.
Handling precautions
Potassium fluoride is toxic if swallowed, in contact with skin, or if inhaled. It is for industrial use by trained personnel only.
Contact with acids liberates hydrogen fluoride gas. HF is acutely toxic, penetrates skin, and causes deep burns that may not be painful at first — segregation from all acids is an absolute requirement, not a preference.
Fluoride burns require specific first aid. Calcium gluconate gel should be available at every handling point, and all personnel must be trained in its use before work begins.
Any suspected skin or eye exposure needs immediate flushing and urgent medical attention, even if the affected person reports no pain.
Control dust during bag emptying and charging. Use chemical-resistant gloves, coveralls, eye protection, and respiratory protection.
Refer to the full Safety Data Sheet for exposure limits, fluoride-specific first aid, spill response, and disposal before use.
Frequently asked questions
What is Potassium Fluoride used for?
Industrially, mostly as the fluorine source in halex fluorination, where fluoride displaces activated aromatic chlorine. It is also used as a mild base, a metal and glass treatment chemical, and a flux component.
What is halex fluorination?
Halogen exchange. An aromatic chloride activated by a nitro group is heated with KF in a polar aprotic solvent such as DMSO or sulfolane, and fluoride replaces chlorine. It is how most industrial fluoroaromatics are made.
Why does moisture matter so much?
Water hydrates the fluoride ion and drastically reduces its nucleophilicity, so wet KF simply will not perform in halex chemistry. Anhydrous handling, dry solvent, and sealed packaging are prerequisites rather than refinements.
What is spray-dried KF and why use it?
Spray drying produces a finer, higher surface area powder that dissolves and reacts faster in the heterogeneous conditions of a halex reaction. Many users specify it because conversion improves at the same temperature and time.
Why must KF never contact acid?
Acid liberates hydrogen fluoride. HF is acutely toxic, absorbs through skin, attacks bone, and causes burns that can be painless initially and severe hours later. Physical segregation from all acids is a mandatory control.
Can it be stored in glass?
No. Fluoride attacks glass and silica, contaminating the product and damaging the container. Use polyethylene, polypropylene, or suitably lined containers throughout.
What first-aid provision is required?
Calcium gluconate gel must be available wherever the product is handled, with trained personnel who know how to use it. Any suspected exposure needs immediate flushing and urgent medical attention regardless of whether it hurts.
How does KF compare with other fluoride sources?
Caesium fluoride is more reactive but far more expensive; sodium fluoride is cheaper but much less effective in halex chemistry. KF is the usual industrial compromise between cost and reactivity.
What purity do you supply?
Standard grade is supplied at a minimum assay of 98% with loss on drying at or below 0.5% for the anhydrous grade and chloride at or below 0.1%. Tighter specifications can be produced to order.
What packaging sizes are available?
25 kg bags, 500 kg jumbo bags, and sealed drums for moisture-sensitive service. Specify anhydrous or spray-dried grade on enquiry.
Is potassium fluoride regulated?
Fluoride salts carry transport, workplace exposure, and in some jurisdictions poison-schedule controls. Confirm your national requirements before ordering.
Do you provide a Certificate of Analysis?
Yes. Every batch is dispatched with a Certificate of Analysis and Safety Data Sheet covering assay, loss on drying, chloride, and appearance.