Trifluoromethane, CHF3, also known as fluoroform, propellant 23, and refrigerant 23, is a colorless gas that is nonflammable. There are no hazards listed for trifluoromethane. It may be an asphyxiant gas and displace oxygen in the air and in confined spaces. The fourdigit UN identification number is 2035 for the compressed gas and 3136 for the cryogenic liquid. The primary uses for trifluoromethane are as a refrigerant, as a direct coolant for infrared detector cells, and as a blowing agent for urethane foams.
Strictly speaking, fluorocarbon compounds contain only the elements carbon, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen. However, in industrial applications such as refrigerants and aerosol propellants, the term fluorocarbon has been used to include compounds containing chlorine and bromine atoms, or both. These industrial products have somewhat similar chemical and physical properties. Their relatively inert character and wide range of vapor pressures and boiling points make them especially well suited as refrigerants in a variety of applications, blowing agents for plastic foams, and aerosols.
