Germanium
Germanium General
| Name:Germanium | Symbol:Ge |
| Type:Metalloid, Carbon group | Atomic weight:72.59 |
| Density @ 293 K:5.323 g/cm3 | Atomic volume:13.6 cm3/mol |
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Discovered:
Germanium was discovered by Clemens A. Winkler in 1886. The element name comes from the Latin 'Germania', meaning Germany. |
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Germanium States
| State (s, l, g):solid | |
| Melting point:1210.6 K (938 °C) | Boiling point:3103 K (2830 °C) |
Germanium Energies
| Specific heat capacity:0.32 J g-1 K-1 | Heat of atomization:377 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of fusion:36.940 kJ mol-1 | Heat of vaporization :334.3 kJ mol-1 |
| 1st ionization energy:762.1 kJ mol-1 | 2nd ionization energy:1537.4 kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd ionization energy:3301.7 kJ mol-1 | Electron affinity:120 kJ mol-1 |
Germanium Oxidation & Electrons
| Shells:2,8,18,4 | Electron configuration:[Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 |
| Minimum oxidation number: -4 | Maximum oxidation number:4 |
| Min. common oxidation no.: -4 | Max. common oxidation no.:4 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling Scale):2.01 | Polarizability volume:6.1 Å3 |
Germanium Appearance & Characteristics
| Structure:diamond structure | Color:gray-white |
| Hardness:6 mohs | |
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Harmful effects:
Germanium is not known to be toxic. |
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Characteristics:
Germanium is a lustrous, hard, gray-white semi-metallic element with a crystalline and brittle structure. Germanium also has the unusual property that (like water) it expands as it freezes. Four other elements expand when they freeze; silicon, bismuth, antimony and gallium. It is a semiconductor. Germanium and the oxide are transparent to infrared radiation. Uses: The most common use of germanium is as a semiconductor. Germanium is used in transistors and in integrated circuits. It is used as an alloying agent and as a catalyst. It is also used in infrared spectroscopes and infrared detectors. Some germanium compounds are useful because they are toxic to bacteria but are harmless for mammals. |
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Germanium Reactions
| Reaction with air: mild, w/ht ⇒ GeO2 | Reaction with 6 M HCl:none |
| Reaction with 15 M HNO3:mild,⇒ Geiv, Nox | Reaction with 6 M NaOH:none |
Germanium Compounds
| Oxide(s):GeO, GeO2 | Chloride(s):GeCl2, GeCl4 |
| Hydride(s):GeH4, Ge2H6 + more |
Germanium Radius
| Atomic radius:122.3 pm | Ionic radius (1+ ion): pm |
| Ionic radius (2+ ion):87 pm | Ionic radius (3+ ion): pm |
| Ionic radius (2- ion): pm | Ionic radius (1- ion): pm |
Germanium Conductivity
| Thermal conductivity:60.2 W m-1 K-1 | Electrical conductivity:3 S cm-1 |
Germanium Abundance & Isotopes
| Abundance earth's crust:1.5 parts per million by weight, 0.42 parts per million by moles | |
| Abundance solar system:200 parts per billion by weight, 3 parts per billion by moles | |
| Cost, pure:$360 per100g | |
| Cost, bulk:$120 per 100g | |
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Source:
The main ore of germanium is germanite, which is about 7% germanium. Commercially, germanium is obtained as a byproduct of metal refining and from some coal ashes. |
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Isotopes:
Germanium has 24 isotopes whose half-lives are known, with mass numbers 58 to 85. Of these, five are stable: 70Ge, 72Ge 73Ge, 74Ge and 76Ge. The most abundant is 74Ge at 35.9%. |
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Germanium Other
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Other:
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