What is Fluorine?

Fluorine: a small yet very adaptable element

The most reactive, electronegative and oxidizing element, fluorine (F) is the first halogen in the periodic table. Fluorine is naturally present in the Earth's crust where it is chiefly found in mineral form.

Although its existence as an element was suspected in the early 19th century, it was only 100 years later that the French chemist, Henri Moissan, won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for discovering fluorine in its elemental state in 1886. In Latin, its name means flow.

Fluorine easily bonds with other elements of the periodic table and consequently boasts a host of applications: polymers, refrigerants as well as lithium salts for batteries. 

It is very popular, and people use it morning and night to brush their teeth. It is the main active ingredient in most kinds of toothpaste and helps prevent cavities.
 

A unique expertise in fluorine chemistry

Fluorine is a key element in our daily lives. Thanks to its long-term experience in fluorine chemistry and presence in strategic locations, Solvay serves customers with fluorine products worldwide. As a leader, it provides rapid responses to the demands of various markets (e.g. electronics, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, energy, etc.) and uses its outstanding knowledge for high-end applications such as heat exchangers and Lithium-ion batteries. Solvay’s fluorinated polymer Solef^® PVDF is used to manufacture battery components (binders and separators). The fluorine in the compound makes it fire-resistant, improving battery safety dramatically when compared with other polymers.