What is germanium used for?

What is germanium used for?

In addition to its applications in electronic devices, germanium is used as a component of alloys and in phosphors for fluorescent lamps. Because germanium is transparent to infrared radiation, it is employed in equipment used for detecting and measuring such radiation, such as windows and lenses.

What is germanium found in?

1886Germanium / Discovered

Is germanium naturally occurring?

Germanium, categorized as a metalloid in group 14, the Carbon family, has five naturally occurring isotopes….Characteristics.

What are the properties of germanium?

Pure germanium is a hard, lustrous, gray-white, brittle metalloid. It has a diamondlike crystalline structure and it is similar in chemical and physical properties to silicon. Germanium is stable in air and water, and is unaffected by alkalis and acids, except nitric acid.

What are 3 common uses of germanium?

Germanium is used to manufacture rectifiers, transistors and weapons-sighting systems and used as a fluorescent material. Alloying agent. Germanium can also be used as a catalyst to produce plastics.

What are the effects of germanium on humans?

Germanium is not an essential element. Its acute toxicity is low. However, at least 31 reported human cases linked prolonged intake of germanium products with renal failure and even death. Signs of kidney dysfunction, kidney tubular degeneration, and germanium accumulation were observed.

How can I get germanium?

Today, germanium is primarily obtained from the smelting of zinc ores and from the byproducts of burning certain types of coal. From the Latin word Germania, Germany. Mendeleev predicted the existence of Germanium in 1871 as ekasilicon, and the element was discovered by Winkler in 1886.

Is germanium harmful to humans?

What are three interesting facts about germanium?

Here are a few important facts about Germanium.

• Atomic number: 32.
• Atomic weight: 72.630.
• Melting point: 1211.40 K (938.25°C or 1720.85°F)
• Boiling point: 3106 K (2833°C or 5131°F)
• Density: 5.323 grams per cubic centimeter.
• Phase at room temperature: Solid.
• Element classification: Semi-metal.
• Period number: 4.

Is germanium from Germany?

The name germanium is derived from Germany, which is the native country of Winkler. Germanium is a metalloid like silicon and as such is used to make semiconductor devices.

What foods contain germanium?

Germanium is a naturally occurring element. Trace amounts can be found in foods such as shiitake mushrooms, garlic, tuna, and tomato juice. However, it is not an essential nutrient for human health. Germanium was considered by some as an elixir in the 1970s and ’80s for diseases such as cancer and AIDS.

Is germanium good for skin?

Made with germanium, a key ingredient in activating and balancing the positive and negative ions responsible for ageing. It simultaneously defends the skin from surrounding environmental aggressors from urban living.

What foods are high in germanium?

Germanium is found in all organic material, of both plant and animal origin. Tiny amounts of Germanium are found in many foods: broccoli, celery, garlic, shitake mushrooms, milk, chlorella, onions, pearl barley, rhubarb sauerkraut, tomato juice and the herbs aloe vera, comfrey, ginseng and suma.

Is germanium good for your skin?

What happens if you eat germanium?

You could swallow a capsule of germanium without ill effects.

Is germanium harmful for the human body?

Inorganic (elemental) germanium is LIKELY UNSAFE. This includes certain compounds such as germanium oxide. There have been more than 30 reports of kidney failure and death linked with use of these forms of germanium. It builds up in the body and can damage vital organs such as the kidneys.