HF production

Production of hydrofluoric acid (HF)

Eurofluor: production of Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)

The main grades of fluorspar available are:

  • crude ore 25-30%
  • metallurgical grade 75-82%
  • ceramic grade 94-96%
  • acid grade 97%
  • crystalline grade 99%

The most demanded is the acid grade, used as raw material to produce hydrofluoric acid, its worldwide production capacity being more than three million metric tonnes.

After the ore is dug from mines or from open quarries, impurities are removed to leave a fluorspar which contains a minimum of 97% calcium fluoride. Most of the co-products are also separated and collected, to serve a variety of industrial purposes. The acid grade fluorspar is then transported to the hydrofluoric acid plants by ship, road, rail or barge. Here it reacts with sulphuric acid to form hydrogen fluoride gas. This is either collected and stored for use as a liquefied gas, or it can be diluted with water to produce aqueous solutions of hydrofluoric acid.

Eurofluor members producing HF in Europe

Company Location
Alkeemia S.p.A.
Derivados del Fluor SA
Fluorchemie Dohna GmbH
Fluorchemie Stulln GmbH
Fluorsid S.p.A.
Honeywell Specialty Chemicals Seelze GmbH
LANXESS Deutschland GmbH
Solvay Fluor GmbH
Porto Marghera (Italy)
Ontón (Spain)
Dohna (Germany)
Stulln (Germany)
Assemini (Italy)
Seelze (Germany)
Leverkusen (Germany)
Bad Wimpfen (Germany)

Eurofluor - CTEF members producing Hydrogen Fluoride in Europe