Germanium Facts
Germanium Facts
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| Interesting Germanium Facts: |
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| Germanium is another element that was predicted by Mendeleev in 1871. |
| His predictions for what would be the atomic number, weight, and properties were very close to germanium's actual characteristics. |
| It wasn't discovered until 1886 when Clemens Alexander Winkler isolated it in the mineral argyrodite. |
| Argyrodite mineral was discovered to contain silver, sulfur, and something unknown, which Winkler found to be germanium. |
| Winkler decided to name this new element after the newly discovered planet Neptune, but the name was already taken. |
| He named germanium after his home country of Germany instead. |
| Germanium in a pure form is too highly reactive to occur naturally. |
| It is often found in compound state or in minerals. |
| Germanium is found in the Earth's crust at about 1.6 parts per million. |
| Fairly rare, only about 118 tons of germanium are produced annually. |
| Germanium is recyclable, and about 35% of it are used annually from reclaimed sources. |
| Germanium didn't become a useful element until 1945, when researchers discovered its excellent semiconducting properties. |
| It was mainly used for transistors in the twentieth century. |
| When fiber optics became important, germanium was used in that field. |
| Now, 85% of the world consumption of germanium is in fiber optics. |
| Germanium has five isotopes found in nature. |
| As many as twenty-seven radioisotopes of germanium have been discovered. |
| The half-life of one of its radioactive isotopes is 130 billion times the predicted age of the entire universe. |
| Germanium has been found in the atmosphere of Jupiter and in distant stars. |
| Germanium is believed to have no toxic effect on plants or animals, but its scarcity might contribute to that belief. |
| At concentrated levels in humans, its salts have led to renal failure and other conditions leading to death. |
| Practitioners have used germanium to treat anemia, and it is not allowed as a nutritional supplement by the FDA. |
| Germanium was thought to have antibacterial properties, but it is not recognized for that use. |
| It was also believed to be a treatment for cancer, but that has also been disallowed. |
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