Zinc fluoride

Zinc fluoride is an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula ZnF2. It is encountered as the anhydrous form and also as the tetrahydrate, ZnF2*4H2O (rhombohedral crystal structure). It has a high melting point and has the rutile structure containing 6 coordinate zinc, which suggests appreciable ionic character in its chemical bonding. Unlike the other zinc halides, ZnCl2, ZnBr2 and ZnI2, it is not very soluble in water.

Like some other metal difluorides, ZnF2 crystallizes in the rutile structure, which features octahedral Zn cations and trigonal planar fluorides.

Preparation and reactions
Zinc fluoride can be synthesized several ways.
 * The reaction of zinc metal with fluorine gas.
 * Reaction of hydrofluoric acid with zinc, to yield hydrogen gas (H2) and zinc fluoride (ZnF2).

Zinc fluoride can be hydrolysed by hot water to form the zinc hydroxide fluoride, Zn(OH)F.

The salt is believed to form both a tetrahydrate and a dihydrate.