Gallium Fluoride

Gallium Fluoride powder is a white crystalline inorganic compound powder with hexagonal crystal structure, high melting point, strong corrosive and almost insoluble in water, which can be used in optical glass preparation, catalysts, electronic industry and other fields.

Properties

Chemical formula: GaF3

Appearance: usually white powdery solid, with certain crystallinity.

Density: Density is 4.47g/cm³.

Melting point and sublimation properties: melting point over 1000°C, but sublimates around 950°C. In nitrogen flow around 800°C, it will be sublimated. Sublimates without decomposing in a nitrogen stream at about 800°C.

Solubility: practically insoluble in water, slightly soluble in enolic acid, soluble in hydrofluoric acid. The trihydrate GaF₃・3H₂O can be obtained by evaporating a mixed solution of Gallium Fluoride and hydrofluoric acid.

Crystal structure: Hexagonal crystal structure, in which gallium atoms are 6-coordinated.

Chemical properties: highly corrosive, can corrode glass and quartz; reacts with inorganic acids to form highly toxic hydrofluoric acid.

Applications

Optical field:

Preparation of optical glass: Gallium fluoride can be added to glass materials as a dopant to prepare gallium fluoride glass with special optical properties. This kind of glass has good transmittance in the visible and infrared light region, and can be used to manufacture optical lenses, prisms, optical fibers and other optical components, which are used in optical instruments, laser technology, optical communications and other fields.

Optical coating materials: Due to its high refractive index and good optical stability, GaF can be used as an optical coating material to improve the reflectivity, transmittance or anti-reflective properties of optical elements. For example, GaF coating on the surface of eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, solar panels, etc. can improve their optical properties.

Catalyst field: Gallium fluoride can be used as a catalyst or a carrier for catalysts in organic synthesis reactions and some chemical reactions. It can reduce the activation energy of the reaction and improve the reaction rate and selectivity, for example, it may have a catalytic effect in some carbon chain growth reactions, hydrogenation reactions, oxidation reactions, etc.

Electronic industry field:

Manufacture of semiconductor materials: gallium fluoride can be used as a dopant or auxiliary material in the preparation of semiconductor materials. For example, in the growth process of some semiconductor thin films, gallium fluoride can affect the crystal structure and electrical properties of the film, thus improving the performance of semiconductor devices.

Electronic component manufacturing: It can be used to manufacture electronic components, such as capacitors, resistors, transistors and so on. The electrical properties of gallium fluoride make it can play the role of regulating electrical parameters such as resistance and capacitance in electronic components, so as to meet the performance requirements of different electronic components.

Anti-corrosion field: Gallium fluoride has a certain degree of chemical stability and corrosion resistance, and can be used as anti-corrosion coatings or materials applied to the protection of metal surfaces. In some harsh environmental conditions, such as high temperature, high humidity, corrosive gases and other environments, gallium fluoride coating can effectively protect metal materials from corrosion.