For inorganic compounds, in some cases it is the anion, in others the cation that has the greater industrial significance. Thus calcium phosphate, sodium phosphate, and ammonium phosphate are important primarily as phosphates and are discussed under Phosphoric acid and phosphates. On the other hand, barium chloride, barium nitrate, and barium sulfate would be thought of together and are therefore described in Barium compounds. However, fluorine, in its industrial applications, is so different from the other halogens that the metallic fluorides are usually grouped together under Fluorine compounds, inorganic. There are also articles on Bromine compounds and Iodine compounds.
Chlorine is treated somewhat differently.
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