709. Antimony Trifluoride

Nomenclature

CAS number: 7783-56-4
Trifluorostibine; antimony fluoride; antimonous fluoride.
F3Sb; mol wt 178.76.
F 31.88%, Sb 68.11%.
SbF3.

Description and references

Prepd by dissolving Sb2O3 in aq HF and evaporating the water: Berzelius, Pogg. Ann. 1, 34 (1824); Sll, FIAT-Review 23, 276 (1947); Andersen et al., Acta Chem. Scand. 7, 236 (1953); Kwasnik in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry Vol. 1, G. Brauer, Ed. (Academic Press, New York, 2nd ed., 1963) p 199. Industrial prepn from SbCl3 and HF: Midgeley et al., US 2024654 (1935). Reviews: Burg in Fluorine Chemistry Vol. 1, J. H. Simons, Ed. (Academic Press, New York, 1950) p 106; Kemmitt, Sharp, Adv. Fluorine Chem. 4, 211 (1965).

Properties

Orthorhombic, deliquesc crystals. Poisonous. Irritates the skin. d2020 4.379. mp 292°. bp 376°. Also reported as bp 319° (Andersen). Soly in water (g/100 ml): 443 (20°); 562 (30°). Dissolves in water with limited hydrolysis, readily forms complexes such as [SbF4] and many sol salts. For the purpose of halogen exchange fluorination, the compd must be dry: Henne, US 2082161 (1937). May be stored in glass vessels or steel drums. Keep well closed.

Use

To catalyze fluorinations by HF, manuf chlorofluorides, in dyeing, usually in form of double salts, e.g., antimony sodium fluoride or antimony fluoride and ammonium sulfate double salt, manuf pottery and porcelains.