cryolite Na3AlF6 Aluminum sodium fluoride for Chemical

Auxiliary Agent CAS 15096-52-3 1344-75-8 13775-53-6

Cryolite occurs as glassy, colorless, white-reddish to gray-black prismatic

monoclinic crystals. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3 and a specific gravity of

about 2.95 to 3.0. It is translucent to transparent with a very low refractive index of

about 1.34, which is very close to that of water; thus if immersed in water, cryolite

becomes essentially invisible.

Cryolite has also been reported at Pikes Peak, Colorado; Mont Saint-Hilaire,

Quebec; and at Miass, Russia. It is also known in small quantities in Brazil, the

Czech Republic, Namibia, Norway, Ukraine, and several American states.

Cryolite was first described in 1798 by Danish veterinarian and physician Peder

Christian Abildgaard (1740-1801); it was obtained from a deposit of it in Ivigtut and

nearby Arsuk Fjord, Southwest Greenland. The name is derived from the Greek

language words κρυος (cryos) = ice, and λιθος (lithos) = stone.[8]The Pennsylvania

Salt Manufacturing Company used large amounts of cryolite to make caustic soda

at its Natrona, Pennsylvania works during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Cryolite, synthetic powder

Cryolite, synthetic powder (Na3AlF6) is used in aluminium-metallurgy, for the production

of abrasives, enamel, glazing frits and glass, soldering agents, welding agents, blasting and

pyrotechnics, and for metal surface treatment.Cryolite synthetic powder is used in the the

following applications:

Aluminium-metallurgy:

as component of fluxing agents, protective and refining salts

Production of abrasives:

as active filler in resin-bonded abrasives for metal treatment

Metal surface treatment:

as component in pickling pastes for stainless steel