Fluorine is an extremely reactive chemical element with atomic number 9. At standard conditions, pure fluorine is a toxic pale yellow diatomic gas. Fluorite, the element's primary mineral source, was first described in 1529, and fluorine was proposed as an element in 1810. As the lightest halogen and most electronegative reactive element, it is difficult to separate from its compounds, and several early experimenters died or were injured in the attempt. French chemist Henri Moissan finally succeeded in 1886 using low-temperature electrolysis, a process still used today. Global fluorochemical sales amount to more than US$15 billion a year, including in toothpaste and water fluoridation, refrigerants, Teflon for electrical insulation and cookware, pharmaceuticals, aluminium refining and steelmaking. Fluorocarbon gases are generally greenhouse gases. Fluorine has no known metabolic role in mammals, but a few plants and sea sponges synthesize poisonous fluorocarbons to deter predators.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorine> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1536: King Henry VIII of England suffered a serious accident while jousting, receiving injuries which may have caused his later obesity and erratic personality. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII> 1848: James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, leading to the California gold rush. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_gold_rush> 1972: Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi was found in the jungles of Guam, where he had been hiding since the end of World War II. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoichi_Yokoi> 1977: During the Spanish transition to democracy, neo-fascists attacked an office in Madrid, killing five people and injuring four others. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Atocha_massacre> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: rhombicosidodecahedron: (geometry) An Archimedean solid with 62 regular faces (20 triangles, 30 squares, and 12 pentagons), 60 vertices and 120 edges. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rhombicosidodecahedron> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: If you don’t want to be replaced by a machine, don’t try to act like one! --Arno Allan Penzias <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arno_Allan_Penzias> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
