Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals - Ammonia ... - ammk-rks.net

Chapter 66 HYDROFLUORIC ACID6.1 General informationProduction capacity in the EU is around 300000 tonnes of HF per year. Approximately 80 % ofthe production is in the anhydrous form and the rest aqueous. Half of this output is usedinternally as an intermediate within the producing companies whilst the other half is sold on theopen market. The major applications, in addition to its use as a raw material for fluorocarbons,are in the steel, glass and in alkylation processes in industry. The market has been quite static inrecent years. HF is also used as a raw material for inorganic salts, hydrochlorofluorocarbons,and perfluorocarbons, as well as for fluoropolymers.Different quality grades of HF are needed by the market, which may require differentpurification measures depending on requirements.The producers have jointly prepared guidelines and recommendations on the safe handling andmanufacturing of HF over the last 25 years taking account of the corrosive and toxic nature ofthe substance.The EU plants are located in the Czech Republic, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain andGreece. Table 6.1 shows the production plants in Europe. The majority of the plants were builtbetween 1917 and 1989, but all have undergone major refurbishment during the last twelveyears. The plant size varies from below 5000 to above 40000 tonnes/year. In Europe,approximately 400 people in total are employed directly in the manufacturing of HF.CompanyArkema SA, (formerly Atofina SA), Pierre-BéniteLanxess, (formerly Bayer AG), LeverkusenDerivados del Fluor SA, OntónFluorchemie Dohna GmbH, DohnaFluorchemie Stulln GmbH, StullnHoneywell Specialty Chemicals Seelze GmbHINEOS Fluor Limited, RuncornChemical Works Lubon S.A., LubonPhosphoric Fertilizers Industry SA, ThessalonikiSolvay Fluor GmbH, Bad WimpfenSolvay Fluor Italy, Porto MargheraSpolchemie AS, Ústi nad LabemTable 6.1: HF production plants in Europe[6, German UBA, 2000, 22, CEFIC, 2000, 24, Dreveton, 2000]Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals – Ammonia, Acids and Fertilisers 257