Bismuth

Name:
Bismuth
Detailed information:

M Formula:	Bi
Properties:
Brittle metal with reddish tinge. Soluble in nitric and hydrochloric acids. Highly diamagnetic (mass susceptibility −1.35 × 106). Expands 3.3% on solidification. Electrical resistivity higher in solid than in liquid state. Extrudable at 437F, not fabricable at room temperature, d 9.8 (20C), mp 271C, bp 1560C, Brinell hardness 7. Thermal conductivity (0.018 cal/sec cm (250C)) is lowest of all metals except mercury. On heating it burns to form the oxide.
Source:
(1) Metallurgical by-products (often lead bullion) obtained chiefly from smelting ores of lead, silver, copper, and gold; (2) ores used chiefly for their bismuth and one or two other metals as tin and tungsten.
Derivation:
Debismuthizing of lead bullion by (1) fractional crystallization; (2) electrolytic (Betts) refining; or (3) addition of calcium or magnesium (Betterton-Kroll process), which removes bismuth.
Method of purification:
By addition of molten caustic, zinc, and finally chlorine (to make removable chlorides of the impurities).
Impurities:
Lead, iron, copper, arsenic, antimony, selenium.
Available forms:
Rods, wire, lump, powder.
Grade:
99.5+% pure, high purity (less than 10 ppm impurities), single crystals.
Hazard:
Flammable in powder form.
Use:
Pharmaceuticals and medicine, cosmetics (eye shadow, lipstick), component of low-melting (fusible) alloys, catalyst in making acrylonitrile, additive to improve machinability of steels and other metals, coating selenium, thermoelectric materials, permanent magnets, semiconductors.

See Bismuthinite.