Germanium
| Atomic Number: | 32 |
| Symbol: | Ge |
| Atomic Weight: | 72.59 |
| Discovery: | Winkler 1886 |
| Electron Configuration: | [Ar]4s23d104p2 |
| Word Origin: | Latin Germania: Germany |
| Properties: | Germanium has a melting point of 937.4°C, boiling point of 2830°C, specific gravity of 5.323 (25° C), with valences of 2 and 4. In pure form, the element is a grayish white metalloid. It is crystalline and brittle and retains its luster in air. Germanium and its oxide are transparent to infrared light. |
| Uses: | Germanium is an important semiconductor material. It is commonly doped with arsenic or gallium at the level of one part per 1010 for electronics. Germanium is also used as an alloying agent, a catalyst, and as a phosphor for fluorescent lamps. The element and its oxide are used in highly sensitive infrared detectors and other optical devices. The high index of refraction and dispersion of germanium oxide has led to its use in glasses for use in microscope and camera lenses. Organic germanium compounds have a relatively low toxicity to mammals, but are lethal to certain bacteria, giving these compounds potential medical importance. |
| Sources: | Germanium may be separated from metals by fractional distillation of volatile germanium tetrachloride, which is then hydrolyzed to yield GeO2. The dioxide is reduced with hydrogen to give the element. Zone refining techniques allow for the production of ultra-pure germanium. Germanium is found in argyrodite (a sulfide of germanium and silver), in germanite (composed of about 8% of the element), in coal, in zinc ores, and other minerals. The element may be commercially prepared from the flue dusts of smelters processing zinc ores or from the by-products of the combustion of certain coals. |
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