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Why must fluorine be produced without water present?
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fluorine
Properties of fluorine.
Fluorine must be produced in the absence of water because it is the most powerfully oxidizing element known. Due to its extreme reactivity, elemental fluorine reacts violently with many substances, including water.12
The preparation of free fluorine is achieved through electrolysis of a melt—typically a mixture of potassium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride—specifically to ensure that water is not present. If water were present during the production process, the fluorine would react with it rather than remaining as the desired free element.31