Sodium aluminum fluoride (cryolite), Na₃AlF₆, is an ionic crystalline compound and a key industrial chemical rather than a structural metal alloy, despite its classification here. It is primarily valued as a flux and electrolyte in aluminum smelting, where it lowers the melting point of alumina and enables efficient Hall-Héroult cell operation at reduced temperatures. Engineers select cryolite for high-temperature electrochemistry and metallurgical processing because of its thermal stability, low density, and ability to dissolve alumina while maintaining electrical conductivity.
Compliance & Regulations
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulk Modulus(K) | 52.37 | GPa | — | ||
Poisson's Ratio(ν) | 0.3100 | - | — | ||
Shear Modulus(G) | 16.80 | GPa | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Density(ρ) | 2.776 | kg/m³ | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Band Gap(Eg) | 6.258 | eV | — | ||
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity)(εr) | 11.56 | - | — | ||
Magnetic Moment(μB) | 0.000 | µB | — | ||
Piezoelectric Modulus(eij) | 0.000 | C/m² | — | ||
Seebeck Coefficient(S) | -161.7 | µV/K | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy Above Hull(ΔEhull) | 0.07060 | eV/atom | — | ||
Formation Energy(ΔHf)2 entries | -3.409 | eV/atom | — | ||
| ↳ | -3.260 | eV/atom | — |