Tellurium information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
Tellurium is a p-type semiconductor, and shows greater conductivity in certain directions, depending on alignment of the atoms. It is grown in crystalline form with other elements such as indium telluride. Its conductivity increases slightly with exposure to light. Tellurium improves the machinability of copper and stainless steel, and its addition to lead decreases the corrosive action of sulfuric acid on lead and improves its strength and hardness. Tellurium is used as a basic ingredient in blasting caps, and is added to cast iron for chill control. Tellurium is used in ceramics. Bismuth telluride has been used in thermoelectric devices. Iron is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. Tellurium facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Tellurium is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries. Tellurium is a Block P, Group 16, Period 5 element. The electronic configuration is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p4. In its elemental form tellurium's CAS number is 13494-80-9. The tellurium atom has a radius of 143.2.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 206.pm.All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology advantages. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Tellurium compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis. Tellurium was first discovered by Franz Muller von Reichenstein in 1782.
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of tellurium and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope. |
Tellure
Tellur 
Tellurio 
Telúrio 
Teluro 
Tellur Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
Te-120 |
119.90402 |
0.10 |
Te-122 |
121.903047 |
2.60 |
Te-123 |
122.904273 |
0.91 |
Te-124 |
123.902819 |
4.82 |
Te-125 |
124.904425 |
7.14 |
Te-126 |
125.903306 |
18.95 |
Te-128 |
127.904461 |
31.69 |
Te-130 |
129.906223 |
33.80 |
Safety Data. The safety data for tellurium metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for tellurium (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table: |
1st Ionization Energy |
869.3 kJ mol-1 |
2nd Ionization Energy |
1794.64 kJ mol-1 |
3rd Ionization Energy |
2697.75 kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to tellurium's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 436000 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 2.1. The thermal conductivity of tellurium is 2.35 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for tellurium are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization. |
Heat of Fusion |
13.5 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Vaporization |
104.6 kJ mol-1 |
Heat of Atomization |
- kJ mol-1 |
| Formula | Atomic Number | Molecular Weight | Electronegativity (Pauling) | Density | Melting Point | Boiling Point |
Vanderwaals radius |
Ionic radius | Energy of first ionization |
| Te | 52 | 127.6 g.mol -1 | 2.1 | 6.24 g.cm-3 at 20 °C | 450 °C | 1390 °C | 206.pm | 0.221 nm (-2) ; 0.089 (+4) | 869.30 kJ.mol-1 |
| PRODUCT CATALOG | U.S. Operations | Submicron & Nanopowder | Tolling | Ultra High Purity | Sputtering Target | Crystal Growth | Rod, Plate, Powder, etc. | Foil |
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