Question

What were the difficulties in the preparation of fluorine? Explain how these difficulties were overcome

Answer 1

Here, I have presented the difficulties in isolating Fluorine from its fluorides.

• Just because of its high reactivity, fluorine won’t exist in a free form instead it can be found as Fluorides with metals.
• There is no possible way for oxidation is the first difficulty as the Fluorine is already an oxidizing agent and can’t be oxidized with its own.  
• H – F is the strongest bond so it can be easily broken up.
• There is no chance for the electrolysis.
• Proper apparatus for the preparation and storage is a major problem in Fluorine isolation because of the solvent property of Fluorine. Fluorine has been found to digest every known metal including glass. There is a big need in finding proper apparatus.