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We are proud to announce our Chief Scientist has been named the 2020 recipient of the American Chemical Society National Award for Creative work in Fluorine Chemistry. Bob is just the 2nd industrial chemist to receive this honor since the awards annual inception in 1972. Bob led the technical development Selectfluor® fluorination agent in the … Continued

Scheduled to open this year, the product development area will be equipped with many advanced capabilities, including a pilot scale high-pressure high-temperature reactor and a specialized spinning band distillation system that separates molecules with small differences in their boiling points. This equipment is seldom seen in a manufacturing environment and represents EFC’s commitment to turning … Continued

Applications of R-134a The primary use of R-134a is as a substitute for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-12) products in refrigeration Used in magnesium production as an SF6 replacement Paired with SF6 for laser machining of silicon Highly purified forms are used as a propellant in some medical sprays and inhalers Markets that use R-134a: the automotive aftermarket, … Continued

What are tariffs? Tariffs are a fee placed on imports to increase their price. All countries use tariffs to one extent or another. There are two basic types of tariffs. One type increases as the cost of the goods increases—this is an ad valorem tariff and is usually set as a percentage of the cost of the … Continued

What is a semiconductor? The typical semiconductor device is a complex array of transistors and integrated circuits that work in unison to provide the functionality of our computers, cell phones, televisions, automobiles and every other electronic device that we have become so dependent upon for our daily activities. How are semiconductors made? It involves multiple … Continued

How do you find the right valve for your cylinder?   We take the following information into account:   Which gas is in the cylinder? Different gases react with different materials, and therefore valves must be chosen appropriately from materials like brass, chrome, stainless steel, Monel (nickel-copper alloy), or Hastelloy (nickel-molybdenum-chromium alloy). Valve outlets are … Continued

Using SF6 The majority of all SF6, 80 percent or more, is used as a dielectric insulator in GIS (Gas Insulated Systems) in high voltage (anything above 72.5 kV) electric distribution systems. SF6 offers dielectric strength (it rapidly quenches electrical discharges), chemical stability during electrical operations, excellent thermal conductivity, and easy synthesis. SF6 was discovered in 1901; before … Continued

About octafluoropropane Octafluoropropane (also known as C3F8 and halocarbon 218) is made by either chemical fluorination or by a procedure known as the Fowler process, which was created in World War II to develop enough coolant liquid for uranium enrichment. There are no natural sources.   Applications of octafluoropropane In the semiconductor industry it is … Continued

About butane Butane (C4H10) is a liquefied petroleum gas, available from Electronic Fluorocarbons in every weight from 6 pounds to half a ton. A flammable gas (hazard class 2.1), butane will burn at a temperature of about 1700° Kelvin (about 1426°C), hot enough to melt aluminum and vaporize some organic compounds—hence, its use in torches. … Continued

The bright orange glow of a neon sign is easy to spot (NAICS 339950/3993); in fact, neon (Ne) was recognized as a new element precisely because of its bright red emission spectrum. But even though neon signs have become harder to find, neon is still used in lighting (NAICS 335110)—for example, as the pilot light … Continued