Tetrafluoroboric acid

Agent Name
Tetrafluoroboric acid
Alternative Name
Fluoroboric acid
CAS Number
16872-11-0
Formula
B-F4.H
Major Category
Toxic Gases & Vapors
Tetrafluoroboric acid formula graphical representation
Synonyms
Borate(1-), tetrafluoro-, hydrogen; Borofluoric acid; Fluoboric acid; Hydrofluoboric acid; Hydrogen tetrafluoroborate; Hydrogen tetrafluoroborate(1-); Fluoroboric acid; [ChemIDplus] UN1775
Category
Acids, Inorganic
Description
Colorless liquid; [ICSC] Pungent odor; [Alfa Aesar MSDS]
Sources/Uses
Used in electroplating baths and in metal cleaning solutions; used in electronics industry to clean lead-tin printed circuits; [HSDB] Also used as a catalyst, to brighten aluminum, as a reagent, and for making stabilized diazo salts; [Merck Index] Used for chemical synthesis and for extraction, refining, and processing of metals; [IUCLID]
Comments
Solutions 30-70% are corrosive to skin; [Quick CPC] High inhalation exposure can cause pulmonary edema; [ICSC] Reacts with water evolving heat; Corrosive to tissue; [CAMEO] Not stored in bone, like the F- ion, because excretion is more rapid than hydrolysis; Causes burns to skin and eye; Inhalation may cause pulmonary edema; [IUCLID] Causes somnolence and ataxia in oral lethal-dose studies of mice and rats; [RTECS] Causes burns; Inhalation may cause corrosive injuries to upper respiratory tract and lungs; [Alfa Aesar MSDS]
Biomedical References

Exposure Assessment

Vapor Pressure
5 mm Hg
Explanatory Notes
VP, Pa at 20 deg C: 665; [ICSC]
NFPA
will not burn

Adverse Effects

Toxic Pneumonitis
Yes
Dermatotoxin
Skin burns

Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent