AGF

AGF may refer to:

Silver(II) fluoride

Silver(II) fluoride is a chemical compound with the formula AgF₂. It is a rare example of a silver(II) compound. Silver usually exists in its +1 oxidation state. It is used as a fluorinating agent.

Preparation

AgF₂ can be synthesized by fluorinating Ag₂O with elemental fluorine. Also, at 200 °C (473 K) elemental fluorine will react with AgF or AgCl to produce AgF₂.

As a strong fluorinating agent, AgF₂ should be stored in Teflon or a passivated metal container. It is light sensitive.

AgF₂ can be purchased from various suppliers, the demand being less than 100 kg/year. While laboratory experiments find use for AgF₂, it is too expensive for large scale industry use. In 1993, AgF₂ cost between 1000-1400 US dollars per kg.

Composition and structure

AgF₂ is a white crystalline powder, but it is usually black/brown due to impurities. The F/Ag ratio for most samples is < 2, typically approaching 1.75 due to contamination with Ag and oxides and carbon.

For some time, it was doubted silver was actually in the +2 oxidation state rather in some combination of states such as Ag^I[Ag^IIIF₄], which would be similar to silver(I,III) oxide. Neutron diffraction studies, however, confirmed its description as silver(II). The Ag^I[Ag^IIIF₄] was found to be present at high temperatures, but it was unstable with respect to AgF₂.

USS La Salle (AGF-3)

The second USS La Salle (LPD-3/AGF-3) was built as a Raleigh-class amphibious transport dock and later served as a command ship in the United States Navy.

La Salle was named for the city in Illinois that was in turn named after René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

Her keel was laid down by New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, on 2 April 1962. She was launched on 3 August 1963 sponsored by Mrs. Victor M. Longstreet, and commissioned on 22 February 1964 with Captain Edward H. Winslow, USN in command.

Service history

Amphibious transport, 1964–1972

After shakedown and training in the Caribbean Sea and off Norfolk, Virginia, the amphibious transport dock departed Norfolk on 9 October to participate in "Operation Steel Pike I", a complex training exercise involving over 80 ships and United States and Spanish troops. It closed the coast of Spain off Huelva on 26 October, and embarked Under Secretary of the Navy Paul B. Fay, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Horacio Rivero, Commandant of the Marine Corps General Wallace M. Greene, and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Congressman Mendel Rivers to watch the landing operations.