6604. Nitrogen Fluoride

Nomenclature

CAS number: 7783-54-2
Nitrogen fluoride (NF3); nitrogen trifluoride.
F3N; mol wt 71.00.
F 80.27%, N 19.73%.
NF3.

Description and references

Prepd by electrolysis of melted ammonium acid fluoride, NH4F2H: Ruff et al., Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 172, 417 (1928); Ruff, ibid. 197, 273 (1931); Ruff, Staub, ibid. 198, 32 (1931); Kwasnik in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry vol. 1, G. Brauer, Ed. (Academic Press, New York, 2nd ed., 1963) pp 181-183. Reviews of prepn and chemistry: Hoffman, Neville, Chem. Rev. 62, 1-18 (1962); Kemmitt, Sharp, Adv. Fluorine Chem. 4, 189-190 (1965).

Properties

Colorless, nonflammable gas. Moldy odor. mp -208.5°. bp -129°. d (liq at bp) 1.885. Trouton const 19.9. Insoluble in water. Rather inert chemically. Does not attack glass, mercury. Decomposed by electric sparks.

Caution

Potential symptoms of overexposure in exptl animals are anoxia, cyanosis; methemoglobinemia; weakness, dizziness, headache; liver, kidney injury. See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH 97-140, 1997) p 228.

Use

Chamber-cleaning gas in the manufacture of electronics.