Skip to main content

Search from vocabulary

Content language

Concept information

Physical entity > Chemical entity > Sulfur hexafluoride

Preferred term

Sulfur hexafluoride  

Type

  • Entity

Definition

  • [ChEBI] A sulfur coordination entity consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. It is the most potent greenhouse gas currently known, with a global warming potential of 23,900 times that of CO2 over a 100 year period (SF6 has an estimated lifetime in the atmosphere of between 800 and 3,000 years).
  • [Wikipedia] Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) or sulphur hexafluoride (British spelling), is an extremely potent and persistent greenhouse gas that is primarily utilized as an electrical insulator and arc suppressant. It is inorganic, colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic. SF6 has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. It is a hypervalent molecule. Typical for a nonpolar gas, SF6 is poorly soluble in water but quite soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. It has a density of 6.12 g/L at sea level conditions, considerably higher than the density of air (1.225 g/L). It is generally transported as a liquefied compressed gas. The concentration of SF6 in Earth's troposphere reached 10 parts per trillion (ppt) in year 2019, rising at 0.35 ppt/year. The increase over the prior 40 years was driven in large part by the expanding electric power sector, including fugitive emissions from banks of SF6 gas contained in its medium- and high-voltage switchgear. Uses in magnesium, aluminum, and electronics manufacturing also hastened atmospheric growth.

Broader concept

Entry terms

  • SF6

URI

https://w3id.org/ozcar-theia/c_6d01bcd1

Download this concept:

RDF/XML TURTLE JSON-LD Created 2/7/22, last modified 1/22/24