Lanthanum Fluoride (LaF₃) – High Purity Rare Earth Fluoride Optical & Ceramic Powder
Product Overview
Lanthanum Fluoride, also known as Lanthanum(III) Fluoride or Lanthanum Trifluoride, is a high-purity inorganic rare earth fluoride compound with the chemical formula LaF₃. It appears as white crystalline powder or colorless transparent crystals featuring ultra-high thermal stability, low refractive index, excellent optical transmittance and superior chemical inertness. As a core functional rare earth fluoride material, Lanthanum Fluoride is almost insoluble in water and ethanol, possesses wide-band optical transparency and strong ionic conductivity. It resists corrosion, oxidation and high-temperature decomposition, making it irreplaceable in optical coating, infrared glass, laser crystal manufacturing, ceramic sintering and solid electrolyte industries. We supply high-purity Lanthanum Fluoride with stable batch consistency, ultra-low impurity content and customizable particle size, serving high-end optical, electronic and new material manufacturing worldwide.
Basic Product Information
CAS Number: 13709-38-1 Molecular Formula: LaF₃ Molecular Weight: 195.90 Appearance: White Crystalline Powder / Transparent Crystal Solid Purity Grades: 99%, 99.9%, 99.99% (4N), 99.999% (5N) High Purity Melting Point: 1493°C Boiling Point: 2327°C Density: 5.93 g/cm³ Solubility: Almost insoluble in water and ethanol, insoluble in most organic solvents REO Content: ≥82.0% Core Features: High thermal stability, excellent infrared transmittance, low optical loss, chemical inertness, high ionic conductivity, anti-oxidation and anti-corrosion performance
Production Features
Our high-purity Lanthanum Fluoride is manufactured through precise rare earth solution purification, hydrofluoric acid directional fluorination, high-temperature sintering and graded particle sieving processes. Adopting multi-stage impurity removal technology, the product effectively eliminates heavy metals, heterogeneous rare earth elements and soluble residues, achieving ultra-high purity and stable chemical performance. Strict temperature and pressure control ensures complete crystal formation, uniform particle size distribution and low agglomeration rate. The finished powder features high crystallinity, consistent optical performance and excellent batch repeatability, fully meeting the stringent requirements of high-precision optical coating, laser material synthesis and high-temperature ceramic modification.
Core Physical and Chemical Properties
Optical & Thermal Properties
Lanthanum Fluoride possesses outstanding optical characteristics and extreme thermal stability. It has a low and uniform refractive index, wide spectral transmittance range in infrared and ultraviolet bands, and extremely low optical absorption loss, making it an ideal optical coating material. With a high melting point and boiling point, it maintains stable crystal structure and optical performance under high-temperature and vacuum environments, without thermal deformation or performance attenuation. Its excellent thermal shock resistance and low-temperature sintering activity enable it to adapt to various high-precision optical processing and high-temperature industrial preparation processes.
Chemical & Functional Properties
Chemically, Lanthanum Fluoride exhibits excellent inertness and stability. It is resistant to oxidation, corrosion and hydrolysis, with stable performance in humid and harsh chemical environments. The material has unique ionic conductivity, serving as an excellent solid electrolyte and fluoride ion sensitive material. Different from conventional rare earth salts, LaF₃ cannot be easily decomposed or dissolved in conventional solvents, ensuring long-term service stability of downstream products. In ceramic and composite material modification, it can effectively refine grain structure, improve material compactness and enhance high-temperature mechanical and dielectric properties.
Main Industrial Applications
Application Scope
High-purity Lanthanum Fluoride is a high-value functional rare earth material, widely applied in optical engineering, laser technology, electronic sensors, advanced ceramics and metallurgical industries. Its core high-end application scenarios are as follows:
1. Optical Coating & Infrared Optical Materials
Lanthanum Fluoride is a mainstream low-loss optical coating material, widely used for anti-reflection coatings, high-transmittance films and protective films of optical lenses. It features wide spectral transmittance, low scattering and stable optical performance, greatly improving the transmittance and service life of optical devices. It is also a key raw material for infrared optical glass, fluoride optical fibers and infrared window materials, extensively used in precision optical instruments, night vision equipment and aerospace optical systems.
2. Laser Crystal & Scintillator Precursor
As an essential substrate and doping raw material for solid-state laser crystals and scintillator materials, high-purity LaF₃ can be doped with rare earth ions to prepare high-efficiency laser gain media and radiation detection scintillators. It effectively reduces crystal defects, improves luminous efficiency and spectral stability, and is widely used in medical imaging, high-energy physics detection, industrial flaw detection and laser communication equipment manufacturing.
3. Fluoride Ion Selective Electrodes & Sensors
Benefiting from its unique fluoride ion conductivity and selective adsorption performance, Lanthanum Fluoride is the core sensitive material for fluoride ion selective electrodes. It is widely used in water quality monitoring, chemical analysis, environmental detection and laboratory precision testing, realizing high-precision detection of fluoride ion concentration in various solution systems with stable detection accuracy and long service life.
4. Advanced Ceramic & Electronic Material Modifier
Lanthanum Fluoride serves as a high-efficiency sintering aid and performance modifier for high-temperature structural ceramics, dielectric ceramics and electronic functional ceramics. It can significantly reduce ceramic sintering temperature, refine internal grain structure, improve material compactness, high-temperature toughness and dielectric stability. It effectively optimizes the comprehensive performance of precision electronic components, sensor devices and high-temperature resistant ceramic materials.
5. Metallurgical Additive & Special Alloy Material
In the metallurgical industry, Lanthanum Fluoride is used as a high-efficiency grain refiner and anti-oxidation additive for special alloys and molten steel purification. It can remove impurities, refine metal microstructure, and improve alloy strength, corrosion resistance and high-temperature oxidation resistance. It is also applied in carbon electrode modification for arc lamps, improving lighting stability and service life of lighting equipment.
Technical Reference Data
The following technical parameters are tested under standard laboratory conditions (25°C, 1 atm), providing reliable data support for optical design, material synthesis and industrial formulation optimization:
- Crystal Structure: Hexagonal Crystal System
- REO Content: ≥82.0%
- Bulk Density: 1.8–2.3 g/cm³
- True Density: 5.93 g/cm³
- D50 Particle Size: 2–10 μm (Customizable)
- Refractive Index: 1.58 (Visible Band)
- Loss on Ignition (LOI): ≤1.0%
- Water Soluble Matter: ≤0.005%
- Moisture Content: ≤0.1%
- Heavy Metal Impurity: ≤0.0005%
- Total Rare Earth Purity: 99.9%–99.999%
Product Advantages
- Superior Optical Performance: Low refractive index, ultra-low optical loss, wide spectral transmittance, stable optical uniformity, ideal for high-precision optical coating and lens manufacturing.
- Extreme Thermal & Chemical Stability: Ultra-high melting and boiling point, anti-oxidation, anti-corrosion and hydrolysis resistance, stable performance in high-temperature and harsh environments.
- Ultra-High Purity & Low Defect: Multi-stage purification process, ultra-low trace impurities, complete crystal morphology, no lattice defects, meeting high-end optical and electronic grade standards.
- Unique Ion Conductivity: Excellent fluoride ion conduction and selective sensing performance, stable and reliable for sensor and electrode preparation.
- Uniform Powder Consistency: Controlled particle size distribution, low agglomeration, good fluidity and dispersibility, suitable for vacuum coating and high-precision sintering processes.
Packaging & Storage Instructions
Standard Packaging: 1kg vacuum moisture-proof aluminum foil bag, 25kg waterproof plastic drum; customized packaging specifications are available on request. Storage Conditions: Store in dry, cool, ventilated and dust-free warehouse. Keep tightly sealed to prevent long-term moisture absorption and surface contamination. Avoid high-temperature, high-humidity and corrosive gas environments. Keep away from strong acids and strong oxidants to maintain stable crystal structure, optical performance and chemical activity.
Conclusion
Product Summary
Lanthanum Fluoride (LaF₃) is a high-performance and irreplaceable functional rare earth fluoride material. Benefiting from its excellent optical transmittance, extreme thermal stability, chemical inertness and unique ionic conductivity, it plays a core role in optical coating, infrared optical materials, laser crystal synthesis, ion sensor manufacturing and advanced ceramic modification. With strict quality control, stable batch supply and customizable technical indicators, we provide standardized and high-precision Lanthanum Fluoride material solutions for global optical manufacturers, electronic enterprises and scientific research institutions.
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