Bismuth

Basic Information

 * Name:** Bismuth
 * Symbol:** Bi
 * Atomic Number:** 83
 * Atomic Mass:** 208.98038 amu
 * Melting Point:** 271.3 °C (544.45 K, 520.33997 °F)
 * Boiling Point:** 1560.0 °C (1833.15 K, 2840.0 °F)
 * Number of Protons/Electrons:** 83
 * Number of Neutrons:** 126
 * Classification:** Other Metals
 * Crystal Structure:** Rhombohedral
 * Density @ 293 K:** 9.8 g/cm 3 **Color:** white

Atomic Structure

 * ||  || **Number of Energy Levels:** 6
 * First Energy Level:**2**S**
 * econd Energy Level:**8
 * Third Energy Level:** 18
 * Fourth Energy Level:**32
 * Fifth Energy Level:**18
 * Sixth Energy Level:**5 ||

Isotopes

 * ** Isotope ** || ** Half Life ** ||
 * Bi-202 || 1.7 hours ||
 * Bi-204 || 11.2 hours ||
 * Bi-205 || 15.3 days ||
 * Bi-206 || 6.24 days ||
 * Bi-207 || 32.0 years ||
 * Bi-208 || 368000.0 years ||
 * Bi-209 || Stable ||
 * Bi-210 || 5.0 days ||
 * Bi-210m || 3000000.0 years ||
 * Bi-211 || 2.1 minutes ||
 * Bi-212 || 1.0 hour ||
 * Bi-213 || 45.6 minutes ||
 * Bi-214 || 19.9 minutes ||
 * Bi-215 || 7.0 minutes ||

Facts

 * Date of __Discovery__:** Known to the ancients
 * Discoverer:** Unknown
 * Name Origin:** From the German word //wissmuth// (white mass)
 * Uses:** pharmaceuticals, fuses
 * Obtained From:** bismuthine

Physical characteristics
Bismuth is a brittle metal with a white, silver-pink hue, often occurring in its native form with an iridescent oxide tarnish showing many colors from yellow to blue. The spiral, stair-stepped structure of a bismuth crystal is the result of a higher growth rate around the outside edges than on the inside edges. The variations in the thickness of the oxide layer that forms on the surface of the crystal __causes__ different wavelengths of light to interfere upon reflection, thus displaying a rainbow of colors. When combusted with oxygen, bismuth burns with a blue flame and its oxide forms yellow fumes.Its toxicity is much lower than that of its neighbors in the periodic table, such as lead, tin, tellurium, antiomy, and polonium. Bismuth has the atomic number 83 and has the symbol Bi. It is a brittle metal and is very abundant on Earth; it's about twice as abundant as gold. When newly made, it is a silvery white color with an iridescent oxide tarnish. Bismuth is the most diamagnetic naturally occurring element and has the second lowest thermal conductivity. It's stable in dry and moist air at constant temperatures. Bismuth has been considered to be the heaviest naturally occurring element as far as atomic mass. It has been found to be slightly radioactive. It compounds are used in cosmetics, pigments, and some pharmaceuticals. It also has low toxicity for being such a heavy metal.

Bismuth has a metallic-white color with a slight reddish or pinkish hue. Such a color will only be present on an untarnished (i.e. freshly broken) surface, since Bismuth tarnishes yellow to dark-gray. Bismuth is not a common mineral and usually occurs in uninteresting forms. It rarely occurs in decent crystals. Bismuth is about as rare as Silver.

Chemical characteristics
Bismuth is stable to both dry and moist air at ordinary temperatures. When red-hot, it reacts with water to make bismuth(III) oxide. 2 Bi + 3 H2O → Bi2O3 + 3 H2 It reacts with large amounts of fluorine to make bismuth(V) fluoride. 2 Bi + 5 F2 → 2 BiF5 It reacts with small amounts of fluorine to make bismuth(III) fluoride. 2 Bi + 3 F2 → 2 BiF3 It also reacts with the other halogens to make bismuth(III) halogens. 2 Bi + 3 Cl2 → 2 BiCl32 Bi + 3 Br2 → 2 BiBr32 Bi + 3 I2 → 2 BiI3 It dissolves in concentrated sulfuric acid to make bismuth(III)sulfate and sulfur dioxide 6 H2SO4 + 2 Bi → 6 H2O + Bi2(SO4)3 + 3 SO2 It reacts with nitric acid to make bismuth(III)nitrate Bi + 6 HNO3 → 3 H2O + 3 NO2 + Bi(NO3)3 It also dissolves in hydrochloric acid, but only with oxygen present. 4 Bi + 3 O2 + 12 HCl → 4 BiCl3 + 6 H2O It is used as a transmetalating agent in the synthesis of alkaline-earth metal complexes: Ba + BiPh3 → BaPh3 + Bi

Bismuthine and bismuthides
Unlike earlier members of group 15 elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and arsenic, and similar to the previous group 15 element antimony, bismuth does not form a stable hydride. Bismuth hydride, bismuthine ( BiH3 ), is an endothermic compound that spontaneously decomposes at room temperature. It is stable only below −60 °C. [|[30]] Bismuthides are intermetallic compounds between bismuth and other metals.

Health and cosmetics
Bismuth is an ingredient in some pharmaceuticals, although the use of some of these substances is declining. [|[7]] Bismuth subsalicylate is used as an antidiarrheal; it is the active ingredient in such "Pink Bismuth" preparations as Pepto-Bismol as well as the 2004 reformulation of Kaopectate. It is also used to treat some other gastro-intestinal diseases. The mechanism of action of this substance is still not well documented, although an oligodynamic effect may be involved in at least some cases. Bibrocathol is an organic bismuth-containing compound used to treat eye infections. Bismuth subgallate, the active ingredient in Devrom, is used as an internal deodorant to treat malodor from flatulence ("gas") and feces. Bismuth compounds were formerly used to treat syphilis, and today bismuth subsalicylate and bismuth subcitrate are used to treat peptic ulcers. Bismuth subnitrate and bismuth subcarbonate are also used in medicines. [|[5]] Bismuth oxychloride is sometimes used in cosmetics.

Though virtually unseen in __nature__, high-purity bismuth can form distinctive, colorful hopper crystals. It is relatively nontoxic and has a low melting point just above 271 °C, so crystals may be grown using a household stove, although the resulting crystals will tend to be lower quality than lab-grown crystals. It is a brittle metal with a silvery white color when freshly produced, but is often seen in air with a pink tinge owing to surface oxidation. Bismuth metal has been known from ancient times, although until the 18th century, it was often confused with lead and tin, which each have some of the metal's bulk physical properties. The etymology is uncertain, but possibly comes from Arabic //bi ismid//, meaning having the properties of antimony.

Bismuth does occur __free__ in nature and in such minerals as Bismuthinite (Bi 2 S 3 ) and bismite (Bi 2 O 3 ). Bismuth is usually mixed wuth other metals such as lead, tin, iron or cadmium to form low melting alloys. Bismuth is usually thought to be the heaviest stable isotope to exist in nature. Oxidation states are +5 and +3.

In the Earth's crust, bismuth is about twice as abundant as gold. It is not usually economical to mine it as a primary product. Rather, it is usually produced as a byproduct of the processing of other metal ores, especially lead, tungsten (China), tin, copper, and silver (indirectly) or other metallic elements.

Brimuth is a brittle metal, silver-pink color. It is the most diamagnetic metal and of the naturally occurring elements. It has the second lowest thermal conductivity and high electrical resistance. Instead of being a poor metal, it is a semiconductor. Its one of few metals where the liquid phase is denser than the solid phase. It is known for its colorful, unique crystals.

Sometimes used in cosmetics and in certain health products. For example it has been known as an active ingredient in the preparation for Pepto Bismol and Kaopectate and also used in the aid of other gastro-intestinal issues. In addition, it can be used as an ingredient in products to treat eye infections.

__**Recycling**__ Whereas bismuth is most available today as a byproduct, its sustainability is more dependent on recycling. Bismuth is mostly a byproduct of lead smelting, along with silver, zinc, antimony , and other metals, and also of tungsten production, along with molybdenum and tin , and also of copper production. Recycling bismuth is difficult in many of its end uses, primarily because of scattering.

Probably the easiest to recycle would be bismuth-containing fusible alloys in the form of larger objects, then larger soldered objects. Half of the world's solder consumption is in electronics (i.e., circuit boards). As the soldered objects get smaller or contain little solder or little bismuth, the recovery gets progressively more difficult and less economic, although solder with a higher silver content will be more worthwhile recovering. Next in recycling feasibility would be sizeable catalysts with a fair bismuth content, perhaps as bismuth phosphomolybdate, and then bismuth used in galvanizing and as a free-machining metallurgical additive.

Bismuth in uses where it is dispersed most widely include stomach medicines ( bismuth subsalicylate ), paints ( bismuth vanadate ) on a dry surface, pearlescent cosmetics ( bismuth oxychloride ), and bismuth-containing bullets that have been fired. The bismuth scattered in these uses is unrecoverable with present technology. Bismuth can also be available sustainably from greater efficiency of use or substitution, most likely stimulated by a rising price. It would be more difficult to find an alternative to bismuth oxychloride in cosmetics to give the pearlescent effect. However, the many alloying formulas for solders allow for many alternatives.

The most important sustainability fact about bismuth is its byproduct status, which can either improve sustainability (i.e., vanadium or manganese nodules ) or, for bismuth from lead ore, constrain it; bismuth is constrained. The extent that the constraint on bismuth can be ameliorated or not is going to be tested by the future of the lead storage battery, since 90% of the world market for lead is in storage batteries for gasoline or diesel-powered motor vehicles.

Radioactive Bismuth, which has been known since ancient times, was often confused with lead and tin. Bismuth was first shown to be a distinct element in 1753 by Claude Geoffroy the Younger. Bismuth does occur free in nature and in such minerals as bismuthinite (Bi2S3) and bismite (Bi2O3). The largest deposits of bismuth are found in Bolivia, although bismuth is usually obtained as a by-product of mining and refining lead, copper, tin, silver and gold. Pure bismuth is a white, brittle metal with a slight pink color. Bismuth is usually mixed with other metals, such as lead, tin, iron or cadmium to __form__ low-melting alloys. These alloys are used in such things as automatic fire sprinkler systems, fire detection systems and electrical fuses. Bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ), a bismuth compound, is used as a yellow pigment in paints and cosmetics. Bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) is used to make a pigment known as bismuth white. Bismuth carbonate (Bi 2 (CO 3 ) 3 ) is used to treat diarrhea and gastric ulcers. Once thought to be the heaviest stable isotope to exist in nature, [|experiments conducted in 2002] showed that bismuth-209 is unstable and decays into thallium-205 through alpha decay. Bismuth-209 has a half-life of roughly 19,000,000,000,000,000,000 years.
 * Atomic Number:** 83
 * Atomic Weight:** 208.98040
 * Melting Point:** 544.55 K (271.40°C or 520.52°F)
 * Boiling Point:** 1837 K (1564°C or 2847°F)
 * Density:** 9.807 grams per cubic centimeter
 * Phase at Room Temperature:** Solid
 * Element Classification:** Metal
 * Period Number:** 6 **Group Number:** 15 **Group Name:** Pnictogen
 * What's in a name?** From the German words for white mass, **Weisse Masse** which was later changed to **Wisuth** and **Bisemutum**.
 * Say what?** Bismuth is pronounced as **BIZ-meth**.
 * History and Uses:**
 * Estimated Crustal Abundance:** 8.5×10-3 milligrams per kilogram
 * Estimated Oceanic Abundance:** 2×10-5 milligrams per liter
 * Number of Stable Isotopes:** 0 (View all isotope data)
 * Ionization Energy:** 7.289 eV
 * Oxidation States:** +5, +3

Bismuth (element #83 on the periodic table) forms beautifully colored and geometrically intricate hopper crystals, shown in the image to the left, as it slowly cools and solidifies from its molten state. The distinctive, 'hoppered', shape of a Bismuth crystal results from a higher growth rate around its outer edges than on its inside face. The higher rate of growth on the edges forms a crystal which appears to be partially hollowed out in a rectangular-spiral stair step design. The crystal's eye-catching array of colors results from the formation of a thin oxide layer on its surface. The colors on Bismuth crystals arise in a similar fashion to those on a soap bubble or thin film of oil on water in which light reflecting off the top and bottom of the film produce interference maxima of a particular color depending on the film’s thickness. A thin layer of Bismuth Oxide on the otherwise pure Bismuth crystal causes light of certain wavelengths to interfere constructively upon reflection giving rise to the color seen on the surface. Due to variations in the thickness of the oxide layer, the crystal is not one solid color but rather is a rainbow of colors corresponding to the wavelengths (and colors) of light which interfere constructively at each location.