Hydrofluoric acid (HF)
has pungent odor. It can react with sulfur trioxide or chlorosulfonic acid to generate fluoride sulfonic acid, and can react with halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, olefins, hydrocarbons to generate fluorine-containing organic compound. When being dissolved in water, it can produce highly corrosive acid, being medium-intensity acid. It is extremely smelly, being very toxic and is prone to cause ulceration when get touch with the skin with a severe extent being larger than any acids.
If inhaled of its vapor, it can have fatal effects, thus strict attention should paid during usage.
Hydrofluoric acid can also react with general metals, metal oxides, and hydroxide, generating a variety of metal fluoride salts, but the effect is not as dramatic as hydrochloric acid. Gold, platinum, lead, paraffin and some plastics (polyethylene, etc.) does not react with it and thus being able to be used as containers.
