Lithium Fluoride
LiF | CAS: 7789-24-4 | HS: 28261910
Product Description
Lithium Fluoride occupies a unique position among inorganic fluorides — it has the lowest refractive index of any optical material and excellent UV transparency extending to 120 nm, making it irreplaceable in deep-UV optical windows, lenses, and prisms for scientific instruments. In aluminium smelting, LiF is added to the cryolite bath to increase electrical conductivity and reduce energy consumption. In molten salt chemistry and nuclear technology, LiF-BeF₂ and LiF-ThF₄ salt systems are central to molten salt reactor designs. MITCHEM supplies technical through optical grades with appropriate purity documentation.
Applications by Industry
Optical-grade LiF is used for UV and vacuum-UV optical windows, lenses, and prisms in spectrophotometers, synchrotron beamlines, excimer lasers, and deep-UV lithography equipment.
Added to the cryolite electrolyte bath in Hall-Héroult aluminium cells to increase bath conductivity, lower bath temperature, and reduce energy consumption per tonne of aluminium.
Used as a low-temperature flux in specialty ceramics, porcelain enamels, and glass compositions; significantly lowers firing temperature and improves gloss.
LiF is a component of molten fluoride salt mixtures in advanced nuclear reactor concepts (MSR/LFTR) and in neutron detection systems using ⁶Li-enriched lithium fluoride.
Component in specialty fluxes for high-strength aluminium alloy welding and brazing where improved flux fluidity and low melting point are required.