page_title: Fluorochemical industry
section_title: Production of fluorine gas
hierarchical_section_title: Fluorochemical industry / Production of fluorine gas
caption_attribution_description: English: Fluorine cell room
context_page_description: The global market for chemicals from fluorine was about US$16 billion per year as of 2006. The industry was predicted to reach 2.6 million metric tons per year by 2015. The largest market is the United States. Western Europe is the second largest. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region of production. China in particular has experienced significant growth as a fluorochemical market and is becoming a producer of them as well. Fluorite mining was estimated in 2003 to be a $550 million industry, extracting 4.5 million tons per year.
  Mined fluorite is separated into two main grades, with about equal production of each. Acidspar is at least 97% CaF₂; metspar is much lower purity, 60–85%. Metspar is used almost exclusively for iron smelting. Acidspar is primarily converted to hydrofluoric acid. The resultant HF is mostly used to produce organofluorides and synthetic cryolite.
context_section_description: Commercial producers of fluorine gas continue to use the method of electrolysis pioneered by Moissan, with some modifications in the cell design. Owing to the gas's corrosiveness, special containment materials and handling precautions are required. Chemical routes to the elemental form were published in 1986.
caption: Fluorine cell room at F2 Chemicals, Preston, England.
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