Germanium
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Description
A naturally occurring metallic element that was isolated and identified in 1886 by Clemens Winkler in Germany. Germanium is a dull, silvery gray solid that constitutes approximately 0.007% of the earth's crust. Germanium occurs in very small amounts in many types of sulfide ores, such as germanite, lepidolite, sphalerite, and spodumene. Germanium is primarily used in solid-state electronic devices and in the production of infrared transmitting glass.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Ge; germanio (It., Esp.); Germânio (Port.)
Risks
- Fisher Scientific: MSDS
Physical and Chemical Properties
Soluble in aqua regia, concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids. Insoluble in water, hydrochloric acid and dilute alkalis. Stable in air.
| Composition | Ge (atomic no. 32) |
|---|---|
| CAS | 7440-56-4 |
| Melting Point | 937.2 C |
| Density | 5.323 g/ml |
| Molecular Weight | atomic wt = 72.59 |
| Boiling Point | 2830 C |
Resources and Citations
- Web Elements: Website
- Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 4415