American Elements: Bismuth Oxide Supplier & Tech Info

Bismuth Oxide is a highly insoluble thermally stable Bismuth source suitable for glass, optic and ceramic applications. Oxide compounds are not conductive to electricity. However, certain perovskite structured oxides are electronically conductive finding application in the cathode of solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen generation systems. They are compounds containing at least one oxygen anion and one metallic cation. They are typically insoluble in aqueous solutions (water) and extremely stable making them useful in ceramic structures as simple as producing clay bowls to advanced electronics and in light weight structural components in aerospace and electrochemical applications such as fuel cells in which they exhibit ionic conductivity. Metal oxide compounds are basic anhydrides and can therefore react with acids and with strong reducing agents in redox reactions. Bismuth Oxide is also available in pellets, pieces, powders, sputtering targets, tablets, and nanopowder (from American Elements' nanoscale production facilities). See Nanotechnology for more nanotechnology applications information. Bismuth Oxide is generally immediately available in most volumes. High purity, submicron and nanopowder forms may be considered. See research below. Additional technical, research and safety (MSDS) information is available as is a Reference Calculator for converting relevant units of measurement.

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.

American Elements semi conducting materials are crystal structures produced from ultra high purity starting materials synthesized by our high purity production facility which includes several large electric muffle furnaces, a tube furnace for hydrogen reduction, 50 gallon glass-lined Pfaudler reactors supported by our analytical laboratory containing X-ray diffraction, SEM, AA, BET surface area, and ICP Spectrometry for trace metals analysis. See a discussion of American Elements Ultra High Purity and Analytical capabilities. See Crystal Growth for processes used to fabricate semiconductor materials, which include:

Crystal "pulling" by the Czochaiski method for production of semiconductor materials
Flux growth and gradient freeze
Directional solidification of fluorites using both the Bridgman-Stockbarger and float zoning techniques