Sulfur hexafluoride

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Sulfur hexafluoride or sulphur hexafluoride (British spelling) is an inorganic compound with the formula SF6. It is a colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic gas. SF6 has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. It is a hypervalent molecule. Typical for a nonpolar gas, SF6 is poorly soluble in water but quite soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. It has a density of 6.12 g/L at sea level conditions, considerably higher than the density of air (1.225 g/L). It is generally stored and transported as a liquefied compressed gas. SF6 has 23,500 times greater global warming potential (GWP) than CO2 as a greenhouse gas (over a 100-year time horizon), but exists in relatively minor concentrations in the atmosphere. Its GWP is 35,000 on a 500-year time horizon, compared with CO2. Its concentration in Earth's troposphere reached 12.06 parts per trillion (ppt) in February 2025, rising at 0.4 ppt/year. The increase since 1980 is driven in...

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