Boron Trifluoride

Product description
Boron trifluoride is a colorless, nonflammable gas which fumes intensely on contact with air and has a pungent odor.

Form supplied and packaging
Boron trifluoride is supplied as standard under pressure in steel cylinders having a maximum capacity of 43 kg or in spherical gas holders having a maximum capacity of 500 kg. Filling into customers' own receptacles is possible.
Properties
In contact with atmospheric humidity boron trifluoride gives off high levels of fumes. It is stable to heat.
As a very powerful Lewis acid it forms addition compounds with numerous chemical compounds (see our product range). With compounds whose molecules have associative bonding, e.g. water, alcohols or organic acids, addition compounds containing one or even two mols of the component per mol of boron trifluoride are produced. In the case of compounds whose molecules have little or no associative bonding, e.g. ethers, acid anhydrides or amines, addition compounds are formed which per mol of boron trifluoride always contain only one mol of component.

Product specification
See specification of Boron trifluoride .
Certificate
See DIN EN 9001:2000 certificate .
Storage and transport
Steel cylinders filled with boron trifluoride are transported with a screwed-on hexagonal nut and protecting cap either laid flat or upright in cage containers. They have to be secured so that they do not roll off the stack and they must not be struck or thrown. During transportation and in storage the cylinders have to be protected against direct sunlight. They must not be stored in areas exposed to the risk of fire or explosion nor in close proximity to heat sources. The boron trifluoride cylinders must be stored in a well ventilated, cool and dry place. When stored upright they must be secured against falling over and when stored in a horizontal position they must be secured against rolling. In use, the pressurized steel cylinders must also be secured by appropriate means.
Applications
Boron trifluoride as well as its addition compounds can be employed as catalysts or cocatalysts in numerous syntheses in the most varied fields of organic chemistry, e.g. in reactions such as:
oligomerization and polymerization (e.g. synthesis of high-grade lubricants and resins)
alkylation
acylation
carbonylation
carboxylation
isomerization
rearrangement
addition and condensation.
They are also used as:
doping components for semiconductors and conductive polymers
reaction accelerators
starting material for the isolation of the pure 10 B isotope
starting material for the production of boranes and fluoroborates, triphenyl- and tetraphenylborates
starting material for the production of active agents in pharmaceuticals
agent for the surface treatment of steel and glass.
Safety
Very toxic. Corrosive.
During the handling of these products the data and reference in the safety data sheet are to be considered. In addition the necessary caution and good industrial hygiene while handling chemicals have to been kept.