Carbon Tetrafluoride (CF4) Properties (25 Complete Facts)

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Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), also known as tetrafluoromethane, is a derivative of methane compound. Let us study its important properties.

CF4 is a colorless nonflammable gas which can be shipped as a liquid under pressure. It is a non-polar covalent compound with four C-F bonds. The carbon atom in this molecule is sp3 hybridized.

As we proceed through the article, we will explore different features of CF4, such as structure, physical properties, chemical properties etc.

CF4 IUPAC name

The IUAPC name of CF4 is Tetrafluoromethane. Here, ‘tetra’ indicates four fluorine atoms, and the name is ending with ‘methane’ as four C-H bonds of CH4 (chemical formula of methane) are replaced by C-F bonds.

CF4 chemical formula

The chemical formula of carbon tetrafluoride is CF4.

CF4 CAS number

The CAS number of CF4 is 75-73-0.

CF4 ChemSpider ID

The ChemSpider ID of CF4 is 6153.

CF4 chemical classification

CF4 is chemically classified as Haloalkane and perfluorinated counterpart to methane.

CF4 molar mass

The molar mass of CF4 is 88.003 g/mole, the calculation of which is

  • Molar mass of CF4 = Mass of C + 4*Mass of F
  • = 12.011 + 4*18.998
  • = 88.003 g/mole

CF4 color

CF4 is colorless.

CF4 viscosity

The viscosity of CF4 is 17.32 µPa.s

CF4 molar density

The molar density of CF4 is 0.04227128 mol/L since its density is 3.72 g/L at 15 oC.

CF4 melting point

The melting point of CF4 is -183.6 °C.

CF4 boiling point

The boiling point of CF4 is -127.8 °C.

CF4 state at room temperature

CF4 is a gas at room temperature.

CF4 ionic/covalent bond

The four C-F bonds are neither ionic nor covalent but polar covalent bonds, as electronegativity difference between C and F is 1.5. 

CF4 ionic/covalent radius

The ionic radius is impossible for CF4 since it does not contain any ion. The covalent radius of carbon and fluorine atoms are 0.76 Ao and 0.57 Ao respectively.

CF4 electron configurations

The electron configuration of an element is a way to show how electrons are placed in its atomic orbitals. Let us check this for CF4 below.

The electron configuration of C  is 1s2 2s2 2p2 and that of F is 1s2 2s2 2p5. Carbon has used its four valence electrons and F has used one 2p electron for C-F bond formation.

CF4 oxidation state

C atom is in +4 Oxidation state and the F atom is in -1 oxidation state as C is less electronegative than F.

CF4 acidity/alkaline

CF4  is not acidic or alkaline in nature.

CF4 odourless

CF4 is odourless.

Is CF4 paramagnetic

Paramagnetic substances tend to get weakly magnetized in the direction of the magnetizing field. Let us explore it in detail.

CF4 is not paramagnetic since there is no unpaired electron in CF4. Carbon uses all its four valence electrons and F uses its single unpaired electron in the formation of C-F bond resulting no unpaired electrons left.

CF4 hydrates

CF4 does not form any hydrates as it does not contain any H2O molecule.

CF4 crystal structure

CF₄ crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group and has similarity with SiF4 structure.

CF4 polarity and conductivity

  • CF4 does not show any polarity as it is a non-polar compound.
  • CF4 does not show any conductivity property as it does not allow electricity to pass through it and it does not produce any ions.

CF4 reaction with acid

CF4 does not react with acids as CF4 is not basic in nature.

CF4 reaction with base

CF4 does not react with bases as CF4 is not acidic in nature.

CF4 reaction with oxide

CF4 does not react with oxides as it is a very stable compound.

CF4 reaction with metal

CF4 does not react with metal as it is very inert in nature. It does not react even with molten sodium metal, which is very reactive.

Conclusion

Tetrafluoromethane is a potent greenhouse gas with a higher greenhouse warming potential than carbon dioxide. Some of the applications of CF4 are as low-temperature refrigerants, for preparing organofluorine compounds, neutron detectors, etc.