Table of Contents
What is magnesium fluoride used for?
Magnesium fluoride is commonly used in the ceramic industry, in the production of ceramic frites and enamels, in the nuclear industry, and for surface treatments.
Where is magnesium fluoride found?
CAS NO: 7783-40-6 MgF2 can be found naturally as the rare mineral sallaite and artificially prepared from magnesium oxide with hydrogen fluoride. The chemical’s transparency makes it a suitable ingredient for optic lenses, polarizing prisms, and ceramics.
What does magnesium and fluorine make?
When Mg2+ and F – combine to form an ionic compound, their charges must cancel out. Therefore, one Mg2+ needs two F – ions to neutralize the charge. The 2+ of the Mg is balanced by having two -1 charged ions. Therefore, the formula of the compound is MgF2.
What elements make magnesium fluoride?
Magnesium fluoride is prepared from magnesium oxide with sources of hydrogen fluoride such as ammonium bifluoride: MgO + (NH4)HF2 → MgF2 + NH3 + H2O. Related metathesis reactions are also feasible. The compound crystallizes as tetragonal birefringent crystals.
Is magnesium fluoride ionic?
It is an ionic compound of magnesium and fluorine and non-polar in gaseous phase [1, 8].
What are the physical properties of magnesium fluoride?
Magnesium Fluoride Properties (Theoretical)
| Compound Formula | F2Mg |
|---|---|
| Appearance | white crystals |
| Melting Point | 1260 °C (2300 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 2,260° C (4,100° F) |
| Density | 3.2 g/cm3 |
Why magnesium fluoride has high melting point?
Explaining melting points It takes a lot of energy to overcome the strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions, so ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points. Magnesium oxide is made from ions with two charges (Mg 2+ and O 2-) and so has a much higher melting point of 2852°C.
Why magnesium fluoride has higher melting point than sodium fluoride?
As the charge in the ionic lattice in Magnesium Oxide is two times as large, the ionic bonding is stronger so more energy is required to overcome the electrostatic attraction and break down the ionic lattice.
Why does sodium fluoride have a lower melting point than magnesium fluoride?
Sodium fluoride contains ions with the lowest charge states with charges of one plus and one minus. These electrostatic attractions would be the weakest, giving this ionic compound the lowest melting point of the three.
Why magnesium fluoride has high melting and boiling points?
It takes a lot of energy to overcome the strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions, so ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points. Magnesium oxide is made from ions with two charges (Mg 2+ and O 2-) and so has a much higher melting point of 2852°C.