Sulfur hexafluoride is a colorless, odorless,
nontoxic, nonflammable gas that has a high dielectric strength and serves widely as an insulating gas in electrical equipment. At atmospheric pressures it sublimes directly from the
solid to the gas phase and does not have a stable
liquid phase unless under a pressure of more
than 32 psia (221 kPa, abs). It is shipped as a
liquefied compressed gas at its vapor pressure
of 298 psig at 70°F (2050 kPa at 21.1°C).
One of the most chemically inert gases
known, it is completely stable in the presence of
most materials to temperatures of about 400°F
(204°C) and has shown no breakdown or reaction in quartz at 900°F (482°C). Sulfur hexafluoride is slightly soluble in water and oil. No
change in pH occurs when distilled water is
saturated with sulfur hexafluoride.
