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| Introduction |
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Introduction |
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Hydrogen fluoride, (HF), better
known as hydrofluoric acid, is one of the basic raw materials for
a wide variety of both commercial and industrial products.
It is produced by reacting a naturally occurring mineral, fluorspar,
with sulphuric acid. HF is a strongly corrosive acid which must be
handled with extreme caution. Safety is therefore the primary concern
of both producers and users.
The major activity of CTEF (Comité Technique Européen
du Fluor) has been the preparation of recommendations on the safe
handling of hydrofluoric acid during production, storage, transportation
and use.
The socio-economic importance of the
fluorine industry
In 2008, European hydrofluoric acid production totalled around 200,000
tonnes with a value of around 200 million EUR.
Around three hundred people are directly employed at nine HF production
sites in four European countries. It is estimated that the total
number of jobs related to the fluorine industry, including downstream
products, amounts to more than 50,000.
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