15 Tellurium Uses: Facts You Should Know!

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Tellurium with the symbol Te is a metalloid whose atomic number is 52 and atomic weight is 127u. Let us explore the uses of tellurium. 

  • The major source of tellurium is coal which contains 2 ppm of Te. It is porous and easily pulverized.
  • Te is majorly used in the steel-manufacturing industry.
  • Tellurium is used as an alloying agent with copper and stainless steel to enhance their fabrication and machinability. When added to lead, it makes it more resistant to acids and improves its strength and hardness.
  • In the ceramic industry, Te and its compounds are used as pigments.
  • Tellurium is used to vulcanize rubber, instead of traditional sulphur, to impart greater heat resistance.
  • Te is used in semiconductors to exhibit increased electrical conductivity when oriented in specific directions toward light.
  • Tellurium is alloyed with lead to improve its strength, chemical resistance, and hardness.
  • Te is used as a thermoelectric material and as a catalyst in oil refining.
  • In semiconductor applications, tellurium is sometimes doped with tin, copper, silver, and gold.
  • Tellurium suboxide is used in the manufacture of rewritable CDs and DVDs.
  • Cadmium telluride is used to fabricate optical modulators, memory chips, and solar panels.
  • Cs-Te photocathodes are more effective as they provide high durability and quantum efficiency. 
  • In the telecommunication segment, tellurides and selenides are used to improve the optical refraction of glass. 
  • As an oxidizer, tellurium mixtures with barium peroxide are used in electric blasting percussion caps.
  • Bismuth telluride is used to manufacture numerous thermoelectric devices. 
  • Tellurium on neutron collision produces Iodine-131, used as a tracer.

Conclusion 

Tellurium is an element of the chalcogen family. Te exists in two allotropic forms: a) crystalline tellurium, which is a lustrous, brittle solid and b) amorphous tellurium, which is a brownish-black powder. It is semi-metallic and glows with a greenish-blue flame in air. Tellurium is resistant to reaction by water and HCl, but dissolves in nitric acid.

Read more about following:

Samarium Properties
Thallium Uses
Silver Uses
Aluminium Oxide Uses
Methanol Uses
Hydrogen Sulfide Uses
Chlorine Monofluoride Use
Bismuth Uses
Krypton Uses
Acetone Uses
Thulium Uses
Diazomethane Uses
Aluminum Fluoride Uses
Sulphuric acid Uses
Glycerol Uses
Iodic Acid Uses
Germanium Tetrachloride Uses
Potassium Perchlorate Uses
Tantalum Uses
Hydrazine Uses
Sodium Sulfate Uses
Sodium Sulfide Uses
Mercury Bromide Uses
Phosphorus Pentachloride Uses
Carbonate Uses
Dichloromethane Uses		Terbium Uses
Tellurium Uses
Benzoic Acid Uses
Phosphorus Uses 
Sulphuric Acid Uses
Tin Uses
Magnesium Uses
Titanium Uses
Manganese Uses
Hydrogen Chloride Uses
Fluorine Uses
Hexane Uses
Diiodomethane Uses
Gallium Hydride Uses
Trichlorofluoromethane Uses
Calcium Bromide Uses
Calcium Sulfide Uses
Methane Uses
Holmium Uses
Samarium Uses
Iodine Uses
Barium Sulfide Uses
Promethium Uses
Sodium Hypochlorite Uses
Boron Tribromide Uses
Perchloric Acid Uses
Cobalt Chloride Uses		Indium Uses
Helium Uses
Carbon Tetra bromide Uses
Barium Carbonate Uses
Borane Uses
Crotonaldehyde Uses
Americium Uses
Praseodymium Uses
Neodymium Uses
Platinum Uses
Sodium Carbonate Uses
Curium Uses
Calcium Fluoride Uses
Technetium Uses
Barium Chloride Uses
Iron Sulfide Uses
Einsteinium Uses
Zirconium Uses
Polonium Uses
Thorium Uses
Chlorine dioxide Uses
Sodium Sulfite Uses
Radium Uses
Hypochlorite Uses
Thionyl Tetrafluoride Uses
Beryllium Uses		Iron Uses
Hafnium Uses
Xenon Uses
Silicon Uses
Methylamine Uses
Chromium Oxide Uses
Carbon Tetrafluoride Uses
Ruthenium Uses
Acetone Uses
Cyanogen Chloride Uses
Hypochlorous Acid Uses
Copper Uses
Boron Nitride Uses
Dichlorodifluoromethane Uses
Carboxylic Acid Uses
Uranium Uses
Dysprosium Uses
Lithium Fluoride Uses
Plutonium Uses
Magnesium Iodide Uses
Magnesium Bromide Uses
Zinc Uses
Hydrazoic Acid Uses
Ammonium Chloride Uses
Bromoform Uses
Erbium Uses		Nickel Uses
Potassium Uses
Scandium Uses
Acetic Acid Uses
Rhenium Uses
Magnesium Hydride Uses
Argon Uses
Cadmium Uses
Hydrogen Chloride Uses
Europium Uses
Potassium sulfide Uses
Aluminum Sulfide Uses
Carbonyl Sulfide Uses
Vanadium Uses
Mercuric Chloride Uses
Barium Nitride Uses
Sodium Oxide Uses
Magnesium Fluoride Uses
Yttrium Uses
Krypton Difluoride Uses
Gallium Uses
Chlorine Trifluoride Uses
Antimony Trifluoride Uses
Thiocyanic Acid Uses