Vinyl fluoride is an organic halide with the chemical formula C2H3F. It is a colorless gas with a faint ether-like odor. It is used as the monomeric precursor to the fluoropolymer polyvinylfluoride.

Production

It was first prepared in 1901 by Frédéric Swarts, the Belgian chemist who was the first to prepare chlorofluorocarbons in 1892. Swarts used the reaction of zinc with 1,1-difluoro-2-bromoethane. It is produced industrially by two routes, one being the mercury-catalyzed reaction of acetylene and hydrogen fluoride: It is also prepared from 1,1-chlorofluoroethane:

Safety

Vinyl fluoride is classified as an IARC Group 2A carcinogen (likely to cause cancer in humans).

Additional data

Its critical point is at 54.8 °C (328 K) and 5.24 MPa. Its molecular dipole moment is 1.4 Debye and heat of vaporization is 361 kJ/kg.