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Bismuth

lead - bismuth - polonium Sb Bi Uup       Full table
General
Name, Symbol, Number	Bismuth, Bi, 83
Chemical series	Poor metals
Group, Period, Block	15 (VA), 6 , p
Density, Hardness	9780 kg/m3, 2.25
Appearance	lustrous reddish white
Atomic properties
Atomic weight	208.98038 amu
Atomic radius (calc.)	160 (143) pm
Covalent radius	146 pm
van der Waals radius	no data
Electron configuration	[Xe]44f14 5d10 6s2 6p3
e- 's per energy level	2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5
Oxidation states (Oxide)	3, 5 (mildly acidic)
Crystal structure	Rhombohedral
Physical properties
State of matter	Solid
Melting point	544.4 K (520.3 °F)
Boiling point	1837 K (2847 °F)
Molar volume	21.31 ×10;10-6 m3/mol
Heat of vaporization	104.8 kJ/mol
Heat of fusion	11.3 kJ/mol
Vapor pressure	0.000627 Pa at 544 K
Speed of sound	1790 m/s at 293.15 K
Miscellaneous
Electronegativity	2.02 (Pauling scale)
Specific heat capacity	122 J/(kg×K);
Electrical conductivity	0.867 106/m ohm
Thermal conductivity	07.87 W/(m×K);
1st ionization potential	703 kJ/mol
2nd ionization potential	1610 kJ/mol
3rd ionization potential	2466 kJ/mol
4th ionization potential	4370 kJ/mol
5th ionization potential	5400 kJ/mol
6th ionization potential	8520 kJ/mol
Most stable isotopes
iso NA half-life DM DE MeV DP 207Bi {syn.} 31.55 y ε 2.399 207Pb 208Bi {syn.} 3,368,000 y ε 2.880 208Pb 209Bi 100% (1.9±0.2) ×1019y α   205 Tl
SI units & STP are used except where noted.

Bismuth is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. This heavy, brittle, white crystalline trivalent poor metal has a pink tinge and chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Most diamagnetic of all metals, bismuth has the lowest thermal conductivity of all the elements except mercury. Lead-free bismuth compounds are used in cosmetics and in medical procedures.

Table of contents

1 Notable characteristics 2 Applications 3 History 4 Occurrence 5 Reference 6 External links

Notable characteristics

Before 2003, bismuth was thought to be the heaviest stable element. However, researchers at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale in Orsay, France measured the alpha emission half-life of Bi-209 to be (1.9 ± 0.2) × 10¹⁹ years;, meaning that bismuth is not stable after all.

Applications

Some other uses are:

• Strong permanent magnets can be made from the alloy bismanol (MnBiBi).
• Many bismuth alloys have low melting points and are widely used for fire detection and suppression system safety devices.
• Bismuth is used in producing malleable irons.
• Bismuth is finding use as a catalyst for making acrylic fibers.
• Also used as a thermocouple material.
• A carrier for U-235 or U-233 fuel in nuclear reactors.
• Bismuth has also been used in solders. The fact that bismuth and many of its alloys expand slightly when they freeze make them ideal for this purpose.
• Bismuth subnitrate is a component of glazes that produces an iridescent luster finish.

History

Occurrence

Reference

• Los Alamos National Laboratory - Bismuth

• WebElements.com - Bismuth
• EnvironmentalChemistry.com - Bismuth
• Bismuth breaks half-life record for alpha decay

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