Perfluorobutane (PFB) is an inert, high-density colorless gas. It is a simple

fluorocarbon Fluorocarbons are chemical compounds with carbon-fluorine bonds. Compounds that contain many C-F bonds often has distinctive properties, e.g., enhanced stability, volatility, and hydrophobicity. Fluorocarbons and their derivatives are commerci ...

with a ''n''-butane skeleton and all the

hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...

atoms replaced with

fluorine Fluorine is a chemical element with the symbol F and atomic number 9. It is the lightest halogen and exists at standard conditions as a highly toxic, pale yellow diatomic gas. As the most electronegative reactive element, it is extremely reacti ...

atoms.

Uses

Perfluorobutane can replace

Halon 1301 Bromotrifluoromethane, commonly known as Halon 1301, R13B1, Halon 13B1 or BTM, is an organic halide with the chemical formula C Br F3. It is used for gaseous fire suppression as a far less toxic alternative to bromochloromethane. Table of phys ...

fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

s, as well as the gas component for newer generation

microbubble Microbubbles (MBs) are bubbles smaller than one hundredth of a millimetre in diameter, but larger than one micrometre. They have widespread application in industry, life science, and medicine. The composition of the bubble shell and filling materia ...

ultrasound contrast agents. Sonazoid is one such microbubble formulation developed by Amersham Health that uses perfluorobutane for the gas core. Inhaling perfluorobutane makes one's voice deeper.

Environmental impacts

If perfluorobutane is released to the environment, it will not be broken down in air. It is not expected to be broken down by sunlight. It will move into air from soil and water surfaces. If it is exposed to conditions of extreme heat from misuse, equipment failure, etc., toxic decomposition products including

hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen fluoride (fluorane) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . This colorless gas or liquid is the principal industrial source of fluorine, often as an aqueous solution called hydrofluoric acid. It is an important feedstock i ...

can be produced. Perfluorobutane has an estimated lifetime greater than 2600 years. Perfluorobutane has a high

global warming potential Global warming potential (GWP) is the heat absorbed by any greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, as a multiple of the heat that would be absorbed by the same mass of carbon dioxide (). GWP is 1 for . For other gases it depends on the gas and the time f ...

value of 4800. Its

ozone depletion potential The ozone depletion potential (ODP) of a chemical compound is the relative amount of degradation to the ozone layer it can cause, with trichlorofluoromethane (R-11 or CFC-11) being fixed at an ODP of 1.0. Chlorodifluoromethane (R-22), for exampl ...

is zero.

References

Perfluoroalkanes Fire suppression agents Dielectric gases {{pharma-stub