Octafluoropropane

Octafluoropropane (C₃F₈) is a non-flammable greenhouse gas that is produced as a by-product of circuit board production. It has featured in some plans for terraforming Mars.

Additional recommended knowledge

How to ensure accurate weighing results every day?

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

What is the Sensitivity of my Balance?

Applications

In the electronics industry, octafluoropropane is mixed with oxygen and used as an etching material for SiO₂ layers in semiconductor applications, as oxides are selectively etched versus their metal substrates.

In medicine, octafluoropropane may compose the gas cores of microbubble contrast agents used in contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Octafluoropropane microbubbles reflects sound waves well and are used to improve the ultrasound signal backscatter.

Under the name R-218, octafluoropropane is used in other industries as a component of refrigeration mixtures.

Liquid phase

• Liquid density (1.013 bar at boiling point) : 1601 kg/m³
• Liquid/gas equivalent (1.013 bar and 15 °C (59 °F)) : 196 vol/vol

• Latent heat of vaporization (1.013 bar at boiling point) : 104.25 kJ/kg

Gaseous phase

• Gas density (1.013 bar at boiling point) : 10.3 kg/m³
• Gas density (1.013 bar and 15 °C (59 °F)) : 8.17 kg/m³
• Compressibility Factor (Z) (1.013 bar and 15 °C (59 °F)) : 0.975
• Specific gravity (air = 1) (1.013 bar and 21 °C (70 °F)) : 6.683
• Specific volume (1.013 bar and 21 °C (70 °F)) : 0.125 m³/kg
• Viscosity (1.013 bar and 0 °C (32 °F)) : 0.000125 Poise
• Thermal conductivity (1.013 bar and 0 °C (32 °F)) : 12.728 mW/(m·K)
• Thermal Conductivity, Gas @ 101.325 kPa and 25 °C: 13.8 mW/(m·K)
• Vapour Pressure @ 21.1 °C: 792 kPa

Major hazards

• Non-toxic
• Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP): 0.000