 It is a red-brown volatile crystalline solid; the heat of sublimation is 12.1 kcal/mol and the heat of vaporization 7.4 kcal/mol.It is relatively hard to handle, being very corrosive and prone to auto-radiolysis.It is prepared by fluorination of plutonium tetrafluoride (PuF4) by powerful fluorinating agents such as elemental fluorine.