Substance profile
Fluorine
Fluorine is a pale yellow, diatomic gas or liquid with a sharp penetrating odor.
01 · Identification
What Fluorine is
Fluorine is a pale yellow, diatomic gas or liquid with a sharp penetrating odor. Its molecular formula is F2 and its molecular weight is 37.997 g/mol. It boils at -188 °C, melts at -220 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as reactive agents - 4th degree.
02 · Identifiers
Fluorine identifiers and molecular data
Fluorine CAS number and EC number
Fluorine molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Fluorine hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Fluorine pictograms and signal word
Fluorine hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxidising gases GHS chapter 2.4 | Category 1 | H270 | GHS03 |
| Acute toxicity - inhalation GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H330 | GHS06 |
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 1A or 1B or 1C | H314 | GHS05 |
Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.
Fluorine hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H270 | May cause or intensify fire; oxidiser. |
| H330 | Fatal if inhaled. |
| H314 | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Fluorine. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Fluorine
A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of Fluorine issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.
04 · Precautionary statements
Fluorine precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 7 precautionary statements to Fluorine. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
Response
What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.
Reading the notation. … is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.
05 · Names in the regulation
Fluorine name in 23 EU languages
CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.
| Language | Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3 |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian български | флуор |
| Spanish español | Flúor |
| Czech čeština | fluor |
| Danish dansk | fluor |
| German Deutsch | Fluor |
| Estonian eesti | fluor |
| Greek ελληνικά | φθόριο |
| English English | fluorine |
| French français | fluor |
| Croatian hrvatski | fluor |
| Italian italiano | fluoro |
| Latvian latviešu | fluors |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | fluoras |
| Hungarian magyar | fluor |
| Maltese Malti | fluworu |
| Dutch Nederlands | fluor |
| Polish polski | fluor |
| Portuguese português | flúor |
| Romanian română | fluor |
| Slovak slovenčina | fluór |
| Slovenian slovenščina | fluor |
| Finnish suomi | fluori |
| Swedish svenska | fluor |
All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.
06 · Label elements
Fluorine GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Fluorine, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Fluorine
- May cause or intensify fire; oxidiser.
- Fatal if inhaled.
- Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
- Do not breathe dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
- Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF INHALED:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Fluorine in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Fluorine health hazards and exposure limits
Fluorine hazard summary
Fluorides, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorine are chemically related. Fluorine is a naturally-occurring, pale yellow-green gas with a sharp odor. It combines with metals to make fluorides such as sodium fluoride and calcium fluoride, both white solids. Sodium fluoride dissolves easily in water, but calcium fluoride does not. Fluorine also combines with hydrogen to make hydrogen fluoride, a colorless gas. Hydrogen fluoride dissolves in water to form hydrofluoric acid. Fluorine and hydrogen fluoride are used to make certain chemical compounds. Hydrofluoric acid is used for etching glass. Other fluoride compounds are used in making steel, chemicals, ceramics, lubricants, dyes, plastics, and pesticides. Fluorides are often added to drinking water supplies and to a variety of dental products, including toothpaste and mouth rinses, to prevent dental cavities. UPDATE: In 2015, thePHS replacedthe 1962 Drinking Water Standards from 0.7""1.2 mg/L to an optimal fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L. This is to provide optimal concentration of fluoride in drinking water that provides the best balance of protection from dental caries while limiting the risk of dental fluorosis.
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Fluorine occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 0.1 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 0.1 ppm (0.2 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 0.1 ppm (0.2 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 0.1 ppm (0.2 mg/m³) | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 0.1 ppm (0.2 mg/m3) | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 25 ppm (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 25.0 [ppm] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 25 ppm | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Fluorine properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
Fluorine boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | -188.13 °C (-306.6 °F) | HSDB | |
| -188.33 °C (-307 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -188.11 °C (-306.6 °F) | at 760 mmHg | CAMEO |
Fluorine melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | -219.67 °C (-363.4 °F) | triple point | HSDB |
| -219.44 °C (-363 °F) | NIOSH | ||
| -219.61 °C (-363.3 °F) | CAMEO |
Fluorine density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.0017 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | HSDB |
| 1.553 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | DOE PAC | |
| 1.5127 g/cm³ | at -188.13 °C, liquid | HSDB |
Fluorine solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Reacts | NIOSH | |
| Decomposes in water | decomposes | HSDB | |
| Soluble in water with decomposition, forming hydrofluoric acid. | decomposes | HSDB |
Fluorine vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 760 mmHg | HSDB | |
| 5000000 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB | |
| 760 mmHg | above this value | NIOSH |
Fluorine autoignition temperature
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoignition temperature | Not flammable (USCG, 1999) | CAMEO |
Fluorine lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Nonflammable Gas, but an extremely strong oxidizer. | NIOSH |
Fluorine vapor density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor density | 1.695 (air = 1) | Air = 1.29 | HSDB |
| 1.695 (air = 1) | CAMEO | ||
| 1.3 (air = 1) | ICSC |
Fluorine odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | 0.035 ppm | HSDB | |
| 0.14 ppm | HSDB | ||
| Low odor threshold= 6.0 mg/cu m, High odor threshold= 6.0 mg/cu m, Irritating concn= 50.0 mg/cu m | HSDB |
Fluorine critical temperature and pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical temperature and pressure | -129 °C (-200.2 °F) | HSDB |
Fluorine corrosivity
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosivity | Corrosive gas | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Fire and explosion
Fluorine fire and explosion behaviour
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
Fluorine fire potential
Not flammable
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Fire and explosion
... It reacts violently with a wide range of both organic and inorganic compounds and thus is a dangerous fire and explosion risk in contact with such materials.
Source: HSDB
10 · Handling and storage
Fluorine storage and handling
Fluorine safe storage
Fireproof if in building. Cool.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Fluorine storage conditions
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Outside or detached storage is preferred. Isolate from all other storage.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Fluorine incompatible materials
Strong oxidizer. Reacts with every known element except, helium, neon, argon. Reacts with all materials except for some Teflons and some metals at low temperatures. Water reactive. Reacts with water to form hydrogen fluoride and oxygen.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Fluorine in the storage compatibility matrix →
11 · Transport
Fluorine UN number and transport classification
Transport classification is a separate system from the GHS classification above. It decides how a package is marked and how a load may be carried; it does not follow from the workplace label, and the workplace label does not follow from it. The entries below are linked by CAS number, never by name.
Fluorine under UN 1045 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLUORINE, COMPRESSED | 2 | 1TOC | — | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 2 is “Gases” (ADR 2.1.1.1).
United States · 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table
| Proper shipping name (column 2) | Class or division | PG | Labels (column 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluorine, compressed | 2.3 | — | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 2.3 is “Poisonous gas” (49 CFR 173.2).
12 · Questions
Fluorine — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Fluorine?
The CAS number of Fluorine is 7782-41-4. Its EC number is 231-954-8.
What is the chemical formula of Fluorine?
The molecular formula of Fluorine is F2 and its molecular weight is 37.997 g/mol.
What does a Fluorine label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Fluorine carries the pictograms Gas cylinder, Flame over circle, Skull and crossbones and Corrosion and the signal word is Danger.
Is Fluorine flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Fluorine no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it.
Is Fluorine a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Fluorine. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health.
What is the exposure limit for Fluorine?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Fluorine is 0.1 [ppm] (Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.
What is the boiling point of Fluorine?
The boiling point reported for Fluorine is -188.13 °C (-306.6 °F) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Fluorine?
The melting point reported for Fluorine is -219.67 °C (-363.4 °F), triple point (HSDB).
How should Fluorine be stored?
Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Outside or detached storage is preferred. Isolate from all other storage. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Fluorine
Keep going: substances starting with F, or search the whole database by name, CAS number, pictogram or signal word.