Fluoride Powder

One of the most significant advantages of fluoride powders—especially those like Calcium Fluoride (CaF₂) and Magnesium Fluoride (MgF₂)—is their outstanding optical transparency across a wide wavelength range, particularly in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectra. This makes fluoride powders ideal raw materials for precision optical components such as windows, lenses, and prisms in IR spectroscopy, laser systems, thermal imaging, and astronomy. Their low refractive index also minimizes reflection losses, eliminating the need for additional anti-reflective coatings.

Fluoride compounds exhibit high melting points and excellent resistance to thermal shock. For example, CaF₂ melts at approximately 1418°C, which makes it suitable for high-temperature processing environments such as crystal growth, vacuum deposition, and molten metal fluxing. These properties are particularly valuable in metallurgy and ceramic engineering, where fluoride powders are used as fluxing agents to reduce slag viscosity, improve fluidity, and enhance impurity removal.

Unlike many other halide compounds, most fluoride powders—particularly in purified, dense forms—are minimally hygroscopic, meaning they resist moisture uptake from the atmosphere. This makes them easier to store and handle in industrial environments. Additionally, their chemical inertness and stability under vacuum and inert gas atmospheres ensure that they do not react with sensitive materials during deposition or sintering processes. This is critical in semiconductor, nuclear, and optical manufacturing.

High-purity fluoride powders are essential in thin film deposition processes such as electron beam evaporation or sputtering. Powders like Lithium Fluoride (LiF) and Yttrium Fluoride (YF₃) are widely used in vacuum deposition for optical coatings, dielectric mirrors, and multilayer filters. Their uniform grain size and low contamination levels ensure stable evaporation rates, high packing density, and uniform film formation.