Bismuth- Bismuth is a chemical element with the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a white,crystalline,brittle metal with a pinkish tinge. The melting point of Bismuth is 271.3℃ and its boiling point is 1564℃. Bismuth is the most diamagnetic of all metals, and its thermal conductivity is lower than any metal except mercury.It has a high electrical resistance, and has the highest Hall effect of any metal.It is stable in oxygen and water but dissolves in concentrated nitric air. Bismuth’s properties are similar to those of lead, except that it is non-toxic, making it a suitable and safer substitute.Due to this rarity, it is classified among the group of elements colloquially known as “poor elements” in the periodic table. This element has a number of uses, making it common in industrial applications. Demand for bismuth metal has grown over the past 20 years, in large part due to its effective use as a substitute for lead. The bulk of the world's supply comes from China.
China is the world's leading miner, refiner and exporter of bismuth.
- Bismuth: history and industry development
- Bismuth, which has been known since ancient times, was often confused with lead and tin. By the 1400s, people had begun to suspect that bismuth was a distinct chemical element...
- Bismuth uses
- Bismuth is used in a couple of very different applications. The majority is consumed in bismuth alloys, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. The remainder is used in paints, ceramics, catalysts and a variety of minor applications. Taking the US as an example, chemical production accounted for about two thirds of domestic bismuth consumption....
- Bismuth: health and environmentaleffects
- Bismuth and most of its compounds are less toxic compared to other heavy metals (lead, antimony, etc.) and that it is not bioaccumulative. They have low solubilities in the blood, are easily removed with urine, and showed no carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic effects in long-term tests on animals (up to 2 years).Its biological half-life for whole-body retention is 5 days but it can remain in the kidney for years in patients treated with bismuth compounds...
- Bismuth industry news
- U.S. Lead-free & European Union reach legislation contributing to bismuth demand Fortune Minerals Limited reports that the U.S. government’s recently implemented Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act and similar global initiatives, such as the European Union’s REACH Regulation and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive...
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- References
- 1.It's Elemental - The Element Bismuth
- 2. Bismuth - (Bi) - Chemical properties, Health and Environmental effects--lenntech
- 3. WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements | Bismuth | Essential information--webelements
- 4. Bismuth: Bismuth mineral information and data.
- 5. What Is Bismuth?--wisegeek
- 6. Metal Profile: Bismuth--about.com
- 7. Bismuth-Encyclopedia
- 8. Bismuth--Minerals Education Coalition
- 9. U.S. Lead-free & European Union reach legislation contributing to bismuth demand--Resource World Magazine
- 10. Bismuth
- 11. mcs-2014-bismu--USGS