Used primarily in industrial cleaning and etching processes, especially for glass and silicon wafers in semiconductor manufacturing. Commonly applied in oil refining as a catalyst for alkylation processes to produce high-octane gasoline. Employed in metal cleaning and pickling to remove oxides and scale from stainless steel and other alloys. Utilized in the production of fluorocarbons and refrigerants. Also used in laboratory settings for digestion of samples containing silicates or other silica-based materials. Due to its ability to dissolve glass, it is carefully handled in specialized containers and used in controlled environments.