Hydrogen fluoride is a chemical compound with the chemical formula HF. This colorless gas or liquid is the principal industrial source of fluorine, often in the aqueous form as hydrofluoric acid, and thus is the precursor to many important compounds including pharmaceuticals and polymers (e.g. Teflon). HF is widely used in the petrochemical industry and is a component of many superacids. Hydrogen fluoride boils near room temperature, while other hydrogen halides evaporate at much lower temperatures. Unlike other hydrogen halides, HF is lighter than air and diffuses relatively quickly through porous substances.Hydrogen fluoride is a highly dangerous gas, forming corrosive and penetrating hydrofluoric acid upon contact with tissue. The gas can also cause blindness by rapid destruction of the corneas.French chemist Edmond Frémy (1814–1894) is credited with discovering anhydrous hydrogen fluoride while trying to isolate fluorine, although Carl Wilhelm Scheele prepared hydrofluoric acid in large quantities in 1771, and this acid was known in the glass industry before then.