Hydrofluoric acid: Overview
From air conditioners to EV batteries: the gateway to fluorine
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Hydrogen fluoride (HF) is made by heating acid-grade fluorspar (CaF2) with sulphuric acid in rotary kilns. It is sold anhydrous (AHF) or as aqueous hydrofluoric acid. World output is roughly 3 Mt a year, worth about $3-4 billion, and China makes most of it. More than half becomes fluorocarbon refrigerants; the rest feeds fluoropolymers, aluminium fluoride, LiPF6 battery electrolyte and ultra-pure etchants for semiconductors. HF is one of the most dangerous industrial chemicals, so it is rarely shipped far and is mostly made next to fluorochemical plants.
Volume about 3 Mt HF a year (2025, derived: about 6.5 Mt acidspar / about 2.1 t acidspar per t HF) Market value $2.8-3.8 billion (2025; Fairfield $2.8 bn, IMARC $3.2 bn, PRCO $3.8 bn) Growth 5-7% a year to the early 2030s (IMARC 5.1%; Fairfield 5.7%; PRCO 7%) Fluorspar tile (USGS MCS 2026; Clarke and Huxtable 2017); IMARC (2026); Fairfield Market Research (2025); PRCO via GII (2026)Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluorocarbons: HFC and HFO refrigerants, foam blowing agents, HCFC-22 feedstock for PTFE | 55% | about 1.65 Mt HFbasis | Fluorine gives refrigerants stability, low flammability and the right boiling points. The Kigali phase-down shifts output from HFCs to HFOs and blends but these still need HF, often more per tonne. IMARC citing Eurofluor; Fairfield (2025) | CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbon refrigerants in some systems |
| Fluoropolymers (PTFE, PVDF, FEP, FKM) | 15% | about 0.45 Mt HFbasis | Fluoropolymers resist heat, chemicals and electrical breakdown. PVDF binds lithium-ion electrodes and lines chemical plant. PTFE is made from HCFC-22, so it draws HF through the fluorocarbon chain as well. Fluorspar tile (EU CRM 2023); share indicative | PEEK and polyimides in some uses Water-based anode binders |
| Aluminium fluoride and cryolite for aluminium smelting | 10% | about 0.3 Mt HFbasis | Aluminium fluoride controls the chemistry of the molten cryolite bath in Hall-Heroult cells. Smelters in China, the Gulf and India consume it continuously. USGS MCS 2026; share indicative | AlF3 from fluorosilicic acid Recycled smelter fluorides |
| LiPF6 battery electrolyte salt and electronic-grade HF for wafer etching and cleaning | 7% | about 0.21 Mt HFbasis | LiPF6 is the standard lithium-ion electrolyte salt, and China makes 85-90% of it. Ultra-pure HF etches silicon dioxide and cleans wafers; it is a strategic chip input. Fairfield (2025); Fastmarkets 2025 via fluorspar tile | LiFSI salts (also contain fluorine) Few for wafer etching |
| Refinery alkylation catalyst | 3% | about 0.09 Mt HF make-upbasis | HF catalyses the reaction of isobutane with olefins into alkylate for petrol. Units consume only make-up HF but hold large inventories. Fairfield (2025) | Sulphuric acid alkylation Ionic liquid and solid-acid alkylation |
| Pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediates, stainless steel pickling, glass etching, uranium (UF6) and other | 10% | about 0.3 Mt HFbasis | Fluorine atoms raise the potency and stability of many drugs and pesticides; HF removes scale from stainless steel and frosts glass; UF6 conversion needs HF for nuclear fuel. USGS MCS 2026; indicative | Nitric-free pickling acids Few for fluorinated intermediates |
From raw material to user
- Fluorspar mining and flotation World fluorspar output was about 10 Mt in 2025, 60% from China; acid grade above 97% CaF2 is about 65% of use (USGS; Clarke and Huxtable).
- Kiln reaction Dried acidspar and sulphuric acid (often with oleum) react in an indirectly heated rotary kiln at about 200-350 C (indicative): CaF2 + H2SO4 gives 2 HF + CaSO4.
- Purification Crude HF gas is scrubbed, condensed and distilled to remove SiF4, SO2, water and arsenic, giving AHF at 99.9% or more.
- Anhydrite handling About 3.4-3.6 t of anhydrite (calcium sulphate) is produced per t HF and sold to cement or plaster or landfilled.
- Conversion HF is turned on site into HFCs, HFOs, HCFC-22, AlF3, LiPF6 or diluted to aqueous and electronic grades.
- Recycling and emissions Little fluorine is recycled: EU end-of-life recycling input for fluorspar is 1% (EU CRM 2023); fluorocarbon leakage is the main climate impact.
Made from (commodity table)
F FluorsparS SulfurThree things to know
- About 2.1 t of acid-grade fluorspar and 2.6 t of sulphuric acid make 1 t of HF, so China's control of 60% of fluorspar mining gives it control of HF (USGS; stoichiometry).
- Fluorocarbons take 55-60% of HF, so refrigerant rules (Kigali, EU F-gas, US AIM Act) set its demand path (Eurofluor; Fairfield).
- Navin Fluorine started a 40 kt/yr AHF plant at Dahej in February 2026, adding to its 20 kt/yr at Surat (ChemIn Digest; 5paisa).