Yttrium(III) fluoride
Yttrium fluoride is an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula YF3. It is not known naturally in "pure" form. The fluoride minerals containing essential yttrium include tveitite- 6Ca6Ca6F42 and gagarinite- NaCaY6. Sometimes mineral fluorite contains admixtures of yttrium.
Synthesis
YF3 can be produced by reacting fluorine with yttria or yttrium hydroxide with hydrofluoric acid.Properties
Yttrium fluoride has a refractive index of 1.51 at 500 nm and is transparent in the range from 193 nm to 14,000 nm.Pure yttrium can be obtained from yttrium fluoride by reduction with calcium.
Yttrium fluoride crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, with space group Pnma, with the lattice parameters a = 6.3537 Å, b = 6.8545 Å, c = 4.3953 Å. Yttrium is nine times coordinated by fluorine atoms.
Occurrence and uses
It occurs as the mineral waimirite-.Yttrium fluoride can be used for the production of metallic yttrium, thin films, glasses and ceramics.