hydrofluoric acid
Quick Summary
Hydrofluoric acid is an aqueous solution of hydrogen fluoride (HF). It is a weak, poisonous acid that can attack silica and silicates. This property makes it useful for etching and finishing glass.1
Historically, crude hydrofluoric acid was first prepared in 1720 by an unknown glassworker. Later, in 1771, Carl Wilhelm Scheele obtained an impure form by heating fluorspar with sulfuric acid in a glass retort, which was corroded by the acid, leading to the use of metal vessels for subsequent experiments.2
Hydrofluoric acid is employed in creating various fluorine compounds, including those used in the electrolytic smelting of aluminum and for cleaning, polishing, and etching glass.2
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