Sulfur Hexafluoride

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    2551-62-4

    Molecular formula
    F6S

    SMILES
    FS(F)(F)(F)(F)F

    Safety labels

    Compressed Gas
    Compressed Gas

    Irritant
    Irritant

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Odorless 55.32%
    Sulfurous 27.97%
    Savory 22.61%
    Meaty 20.88%
    Fishy 19.75%
    Cooked 17.15%
    Sweet 16.55%
    Onion 15.99%
    Burnt 15.78%
    Garlic 15.13%

     

    Flavor
    Odorless 25.18%
    Sulfurous 20.47%
    Bloody 17.67%
    Catty 17.43%
    Glue 17.32%
    Rotten 17.28%
    Decomposing cabbage 17.24%
    Black currant 17.08%
    Bland 17.01%
    Bouillon 16.84%

     

    Odor impact est.
    High

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    4.2

    pKa est.
    0.11 (strong acid)

    Molecular weight
    146.06 g/mol

    Melting point expt.

    • -83 °F (Sublimes) (NIOSH, 2024)
    • -50.8 °C
    • -51 °C
    • -83 °F (sublimes)
    • -83 °F (Sublimes)

    Boiling point

    • Sublimes (NIOSH, 2024)
    • -63.8 °C (sublimes)
    • Sulfur hexafluoride is an unreactive substance. Sulfur hexafluoride is not attacked by water, acids, or bases, at room temperature. It is resistant to the action of carbon, copper or magnesium at red heat, and will not react with sodium below its boiling point. It reacts with sulfur vapor or hydrogen at 400 °C.
    • sublimes
    • Sublimes

    Flash point

    • 20.99 ˚C est.

    Solubility expt.

    • 0.003 % at 77 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • In water, 31 mg/L at 25 °C
    • Solubility in water at 25 °C at partial pressure of 101.325 kPa = 5.4 cu cm/kg water.
    • SOLUBLE IN POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE AND ALCOHOL
    • 0.297 mL dissolves in 1.0 mL transformer oil at 25 °C, 1 atm
    • For more Solubility (Complete) data for SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
    • Solubility in water: none
    • (77 °F): 0.003%

  • Synonyms

    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE
    • Sulphur hexafluoride
    • 2551-62-4
    • Elegas
    • Sulfur fluoride
    • SonoVue
    • Hexafluorosulfur
    • sulfur(VI) fluoride
    • Lumason
    • Hexafluorure de soufre
    • hexafluoridosulfur
    • Sulfur fluoride (SF6)
    • sulfur(6+) fluoride
    • HSDB 825
    • UNII-WS7LR3I1D6
    • EINECS 219-854-2
    • Sulfur hexafluoride [USAN]
    • Sulfur hexafluoride lipid microsphere
    • WS7LR3I1D6
    • Sulfur fluoride (SF6), (OC-6-11)-
    • CHEBI:30496
    • BRI
    • EC 219-854-2
    • R 7146
    • Sulfur hexafluoride (USAN)
    • SF6
    • (SF6)
    • [SF6]
    • Esaflon
    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE (MART.)
    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE [MART.]
    • Hexafluorure de soufre [French]
    • UN1080
    • Sulphur fluoride
    • SF6 Microbubbles
    • Sulfur fluoride, (OC-6-11)-
    • Lumason (TN)
    • Sonovue (TN)
    • Hexafluoride, Sulfur
    • MFCD00011447
    • hexafluoro-l6-sulfane
    • hexafluoro-lambda6-sulfane
    • hexafluoro-$l^{6}-sulfane
    • CHEMBL1796998
    • DTXSID8029656
    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE [MI]
    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE [HSDB]
    • Sulfur hexafluoride, >=99.75%
    • hexakis(fluoranyl)-$l^{6}-sulfane
    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE [WHO-DD]
    • DB11104
    • OC-6-11
    • SULPHUR HEXAFLUORIDE [EMA EPAR]
    • UN 1080
    • SonoVue (for the microbubble formulation)
    • Stabilized sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles
    • NS00078794
    • Sulfur hexafluoride, phospholipid microspheres
    • D05962
    • A817889
    • Q279055
    • Sulfur hexafluoride [UN1080] [Nonflammable gas]
    • SULFUR HEXAFLUORIDE LIPID-TYPE A MICROSPHERES [ORANGE BOOK]
    • S6F

  • Applications

    Sulfur Hexafluoride (CAS 2551-62-4) is an inert, dense gas with several common industrial applications: dielectric insulation and arc quenching medium in high-voltage equipment such as gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and transformers; plasma processing in semiconductor and microfabrication, including etching of oxide and nitride materials and related deposition steps; used as a tracer gas for leak detection and containment verification in industrial plants and laboratories; employed as an ultrasound contrast agent in diagnostic imaging via SF6-containing microbubbles; and may be used as a processing or shielding gas in specialty manufacturing environments that require an inert, fluorine-containing atmosphere.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 158.21
    methanol 261.28
    isopropanol 151.1
    water 43.99
    ethyl acetate 65.38
    n-propanol 110.41
    acetone 180.88
    n-butanol 91.54
    acetonitrile 112.65
    DMF 549.69
    toluene 26.45
    isobutanol 78.49
    1,4-dioxane 114.14
    methyl acetate 76.71
    THF 220.39
    2-butanone 90.24
    n-pentanol 55.94
    sec-butanol 104.17
    n-hexane 15.27
    ethylene glycol 103.38
    NMP 288.48
    cyclohexane 20.82
    DMSO 762.08
    n-butyl acetate 42.38
    n-octanol 42.49
    chloroform 78.89
    n-propyl acetate 41.5
    acetic acid 95.36
    dichloromethane 94.19
    cyclohexanone 82.98
    propylene glycol 85.32
    isopropyl acetate 52.37
    DMAc 356.5
    2-ethoxyethanol 121.23
    isopentanol 70.42
    n-heptane 19.68
    ethyl formate 66.58
    1,2-dichloroethane 84.89
    n-hexanol 54.56
    2-methoxyethanol 237.3
    isobutyl acetate 21.31
    tetrachloromethane 23.37
    n-pentyl acetate 40.76
    transcutol 103.08
    n-heptanol 42.14
    ethylbenzene 17.37
    MIBK 54.51
    2-propoxyethanol 109.24
    tert-butanol 172.1
    MTBE 97.53
    2-butoxyethanol 68.82
    propionic acid 78.93
    o-xylene 32.86
    formic acid 110.14
    diethyl ether 118.93
    m-xylene 27.05
    p-xylene 22.06
    chlorobenzene 24.92
    dimethyl carbonate 67.51
    n-octane 9.55
    formamide 189.4
    cyclopentanone 130.7
    2-pentanone 82.75
    anisole 42.13
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 87.75
    gamma-butyrolactone 142.74
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 191.59
    pyridine 79.22
    3-pentanone 72.75
    furfural 112.0
    n-dodecane 7.53
    diethylene glycol 115.63
    diisopropyl ether 42.38
    tert-amyl alcohol 113.72
    acetylacetone 88.27
    n-hexadecane 7.93
    acetophenone 47.28
    methyl propionate 80.37
    isopentyl acetate 34.59
    trichloroethylene 76.11
    n-nonanol 38.51
    cyclohexanol 66.42
    benzyl alcohol 43.54
    2-ethylhexanol 35.17
    isooctanol 33.68
    dipropyl ether 62.81
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 26.7
    ethyl lactate 46.13
    propylene carbonate 64.84
    n-methylformamide 206.75
    2-pentanol 77.73
    n-pentane 31.61
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 82.61
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 58.02
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 63.89
    mesitylene 23.96
    ε-caprolactone 66.07
    p-cymene 23.55
    epichlorohydrin 106.28
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 51.56
    2-aminoethanol 119.48
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 199.9
    sulfolane 242.64
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 11.75
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 105.8
    n-hexyl acetate 43.59
    isooctane 9.32
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 71.97
    sec-butyl acetate 28.41
    tert-butyl acetate 58.31
    decalin 7.55
    glycerin 118.18
    diglyme 124.49
    acrylic acid 78.49
    isopropyl myristate 28.23
    n-butyric acid 70.0
    acetyl acetate 41.93
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 27.04
    ethyl propionate 46.93
    nitromethane 172.44
    1,2-diethoxyethane 56.07
    benzonitrile 37.93
    trioctyl phosphate 26.41
    1-bromopropane 61.59
    gamma-valerolactone 130.82
    n-decanol 31.64
    triethyl phosphate 33.34
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 45.38
    propionitrile 76.64
    vinylene carbonate 57.75
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 102.71
    DMS 43.04
    cumene 17.0
    2-octanol 36.52
    2-hexanone 45.68
    octyl acetate 32.96
    limonene 32.43
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 181.86
    ethyl orthosilicate 32.44
    tributyl phosphate 25.38
    diacetone alcohol 87.96
    N,N-dimethylaniline 53.91
    acrylonitrile 93.9
    aniline 51.48
    1,3-propanediol 118.32
    bromobenzene 21.06
    dibromomethane 77.81
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 85.83
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 34.19
    tetrabutyl urea 44.26
    diisobutyl methanol 31.55
    2-phenylethanol 40.62
    styrene 18.92
    dioctyl adipate 33.93
    dimethyl sulfate 126.28
    ethyl butyrate 42.67
    methyl lactate 79.84
    butyl lactate 40.88
    diethyl carbonate 31.27
    propanediol butyl ether 64.89
    triethyl orthoformate 37.69
    p-tert-butyltoluene 25.58
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 64.67
    morpholine 135.47
    tert-butylamine 122.51
    n-dodecanol 26.48
    dimethoxymethane 261.55
    ethylene carbonate 49.92
    cyrene 68.77
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 44.7
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 28.65
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 32.5
    4-methylpyridine 70.73
    dibutyl ether 34.34
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 31.55
    DEF 128.6
    dimethyl isosorbide 92.53
    tetrachloroethylene 64.68
    eugenol 63.04
    triacetin 48.41
    span 80 54.77
    1,4-butanediol 56.53
    1,1-dichloroethane 69.67
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 42.14
    methyl formate 137.47
    2-methyl-1-butanol 65.62
    n-decane 10.75
    butyronitrile 66.45
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 35.82
    1-chlorooctane 24.56
    1-chlorotetradecane 13.41
    n-nonane 10.68
    undecane 8.77
    tert-butylcyclohexane 7.76
    cyclooctane 10.27
    cyclopentanol 87.55
    tetrahydropyran 87.59
    tert-amyl methyl ether 80.61
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 101.95
    1-hexene 30.32
    2-isopropoxyethanol 75.91
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 66.48
    methyl butyrate 55.16

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction