American Elements: Bismuth Rod Supplier & Tech Info

American Elements specializes in producing high purity uniform shaped Bismuth Rod with the highest possible density

and smallest possible average grain sizes for use in semiconductor, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) processes including Thermal and Electron Beam (E-Beam) Evaporation, Low Temperature Organic Evaporation, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Metallic-Organic and Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). Our standard Rod sizes range from 1/8" x 1/8" to 1/4" x 1/4" and 3 mm diameter. We can also provide Rod outside this range and deposition materials for specific applications such as fuel cells and solar energy and for thin film deposition on glass or metal substrates. Materials are produced using crystallization, solid state and other ultra high purification processes such as sublimation. American Elements specializes in producing custom compositions for commercial and research applications and for new proprietary technologies. American Elements casts any of the rare earth metals and most other advanced materials into rod, bar or plate form, as well as other machined shapes and through other processes such as nanoparticles (See also application discussion at Nanotechnology Information and at Quantum Dots) and in the form of solutions and organometallics. We have a variety of standard sized rod molds.. See research below. We also produce Bismuth as powder, ingot, pieces, pellets, disc, granules, wire, and in compound forms, such as oxide. Other shapes are available by request.

Bismuth is a Block P, Group 15, Period 6 element. The electronic configuration is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³. In its elemental form bismuth's CAS number is 7440-69-9. The bismuth atom has a radius of 154.5.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm. Bismuth is the most diamagnetic of all metals, and the thermal conductivity is lower than any metal, except mercury. It has a high electrical resistance, and has the highest Hall Effect of any metal (i.e., greatest increase in electrical resistance when placed in a magnetic field). Bismuth expands on solidification. This property makes bismuth alloys particularly suited to the making of sharp castings of objects subject to damage by high temperatures. With other metals such as tin, cadmium , etc., bismuth forms low-melting alloys which are extensively used for safety devices in fire detection and extinguishing systems. Bismuth is used in producing malleable irons and is finding use as a catalyst for making acrylic fibers. When bismuth is heated in air it burns with a blue flame, forming yellow fumes of the oxide. The metal is also used as a thermocoupling material, and has found application as a carrier for 235 U or 233 U fuel in nuclear reactors. Its soluble salts are characterized by forming unsoluble basic salts on the addition of water, a property sometimes used in detection work. Bismuth oxychloride is used extensively in cosmetics. Bismuth was first discovered by Early Man.