What Are Some Fun Facts About Fluorine

The following fun facts about fluorine will help you expand your knowledge about this element. If you feel bored, get down to reading this informative and captivating article about fluorine to make sure you spend your time in a useful way. There are many curious facts to know about this controversial element. So keep reading.

Fun facts about fluorine

Hard to store

Fluorine is very hard to store due to its high reactivity with almost each chemical element. Hydrofluoric acid, for instance, is capable of causing instant corrosion and dissolve glass. By the way, fluorine is so corrosive and powerful that it attacks diamond, a property hold only by a few elements. So how does fluorine get stored? Most of the time, it is stored and transported in stainless steel or nickel containers under pressure. Although more expensive, nickel containers minimize fluorine's attack, as they form a fluoride layer on the inside that stops the corrosion.

Fluorine martyrs

Fluorine gas is very difficult to handle due to its high reactivity. It interacts violently with all elements from the periodic table, except for a few, including oxygen helium, neon and argon. This was the very reason it was so hard for scientists in the past to isolate this dangerous element.

Many tried and for many the experiment ended up fatal, because of poisoning or of explosions caused by fluorine's violent reaction with surrounding elements. All chemists who became the victims of fluorine's ferocity were known as fluorine martyrs. It was in 1886 that Henri Moisson successfully obtained fluorine in pure form, by isolating it from hydrogen. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this achievement.

It's not extracted in pure form

Another curious piece of information about fluorine is that it's not found in pure form in nature. It is extracted from minerals that contain various fluorine-derived compounds. There is not much of this toxic and ferocious element in the environment, which explains its high price. It is just the 13th most present element in the Earth crust.

Human body contains fluorine

If you are eager to know more fun facts about fluorine, here is one that may surprise you. Believe it or not, your body contains fluorine. The good news is that it's found in a tiny quantity which can't affect your body. Fluorine resides mainly in bones and teeth and has the role of solidifying them and prevent decay. So to some point, you have to be happy having this element in your body.

Tap water contains fluorine

In spite of its explosive reactivity and toxicity, fluorine is found in the tap water you use on daily basis. The reason it is added to public water supplies is its ability to prevent tooth decay. While you may be happy finding out your teeth are protected from decay, you may be wondering how safe it is for other parts of the body to consume flouridated water. Set your worries aside, as there is too little flourine in your water to present any threat for your health.

Usage

Fluorine has a vast range of applications, you probably didn't know about. We will go over the most practical ones. While high reactivity sounds frightening, this very feature makes fluorine a great tool for teeth whitening. Fluoride toothpaste contains fluoride -- a fluorine-derived active ingredient that makes teeth whiter. Moreover, you are encouraged to use this toothpaste when you suffer from tooth decay and weak enamel. The fluoride solidifies the enamel and fights decay.

In combination with carbon, fluorine forms a synthetic element called Teflon which is used to produce non-stick frying pans. There is no danger in cooking in these pans, so use them with confidence. Other uses of fluorine include the production of rocket fuel, nuclear power plants and electrical components.

Closing thoughts

Fluorine is a gas with controversial features. From the fun facts about fluorine listed above, it gets clear that it has both positive and negative sides. In high quantities and in reaction with wrong elements, it can severely affect human health, causing breathing difficulty, skin burns and eye impairment. However, low levels of fluorine have a role in strengthening bones and protecting teeth from decay. You are also good to use fluoride toothpaste if you want to make your teeth whiter and more attractive-looking.