Tellurium

Located at Group 16 and Period 5 of the Periodic Table is one of the element alloyed so that it could be used to make Thermoelectric Devices. This is Tellurium.

Franz Joseph Müller von Reichenstein

First discovered in 1782 by Franz Joseph Müller von Reichenstein, the chief inspector of mines in Trannsylvania and first isolated by Martin H. Klaproth, a German chemist.

Martin Heinrich Klaproth

Tellurium was discovered in gold ores by Franz Joseph Müller von Reichenstein, The chief inspector of mines in Transylvania in 1782. He found Tellurium in a form of an elemental crystal. However, Franz did not pay much attention to it. So, it was not actually studied.

Tellurium was only first isolated in 1798, which the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth isolated the new element from a sample sent by Müller. After a thorough examination of the material, he concluded that a new metal was present in the sample. He called it Tellurium, but gave the credit of the discovery to Müller.

Tellurite

Tellurium is quite a rare element as there is only 0.001 parts per million present in the Earth's crust today. Those minerals that contain Tellurium are minerals that includes calaverite, sylvanite and tellurite. It is also found uncombined in nature, but only very rarely. It is obtained commercially from the anode muds produced during the electrolytic refining of copper.

Tellurium can harm our health by causing nausea, vomiting and damage to the central nervous system.

Atomic Number : 52
Name : Tellurium
Latin Name : Tellurium
Electrons per shell : [ 2, 8, 18, 18, 6 ]
Discoverer : Franz Joseph Müller von Reichenstein 
Isolator : Martin Heinrich Klaproth 
Element's : Atomic Mass : 127.60 u
                  : Density : 6.24 g/cm³
                  : Type : Metalloids
Chemical Properties : 

• Doesn't dissolve in water
• Doesn't react with hydrochloric acid
• Dissolves in most acids
• Produced Greenish - Blue flame and forms Tellurium Dioxide when burned with air.
• 56 isotopes : 3 of them are :
      Tellurium - 125 : Protons : 52
                                : Neutrons : 73

  

  Tellurium - 128

  
                                : Electrons : 52
   ( Half Life : Stable )
  
      Tellurium - 126 : Protons : 52
                                : Neutrons : 74
                                : Electrons : 52
   ( Half Life : Stable )
  
      Tellurium - 128 : Protons : 52
                                : Neutrons : 76
                                : Electrons : 52
   ( Half Life : 2.2 septillion years )

Physical Properties : 

• Grayish - White
• Shiny surface
• Melting Point : 449.8 degrees Celsius ( 841.6 Fahrenheit )
• Boiling Point : 989.9 degrees Celsius ( 1814 Fahrenheit )

How Tellurium got its name?

Tellurium was named, however, by M. Klaproth, who continued Müller von Reichenstein's work and isolated the element in 1798, instead of the discoverer himself . Tellurium's name originates from the Latin tellus , which means "earth." Tellurium is used in photocopiers to enhance picture quality.

Normal Picture                     Enhanced Picture

Uses

Tellurium is often used to improve the machinability of copper and stainless steel. It's used to make blasting caps, added to cast iron and used in ceramics. Adding tellurium to lead improves the strength and hardness of the metal and decreases corrosion. Many thermoelectric devices are made with bismuth telluride. Tellurium is also used to make rubber objects more durable.

THIS IS THE END OF TELLURIUM
To go to homepage, click this link :
Our Homepage

To go to Chemistry Element page, click this link :
garnetchemistryelement.blogspot.com

Thanks for visiting.
If there is any improvements needed, feel free to comment at the comment section below.
Thank you.