It can be separated from its impurities through a few different processes, like the Kroll-Betterton process, which separates the impurities out of the bismuth as slag. After this, the raw bismuth still needs to be reacted with chlorine gas that will convert the other metals in the bismuth into their chlorides, which leaves the raw bismuth remaining by itself unchanged.
China produces the most bismuth in the world at a whopping 7, metric tonnes. China produces almost eight times more bismuth than the next four countries combined. In China, bismuth is mined across 13 provinces and autonomous regions. Most bismuth in China is produced as a byproduct of tungsten and the rest is a by-product from the vast amount of other metals, like lead and gold that China produces.
Mexico produces the second most bismuth in the world at metric tonnes. Mexico, like Canada and Russia, gets all of its bismuth as a by-product from mining other metals. Mexico is top five in the world in silver production and top ten in silver, lead and zinc production. This naturally results in a lot of bismuth by-product. Russia produces the third most bismuth in the world at 40 metric tonnes.
Post-transition metals share some characteristics of transition metals but are softer and conduct more poorly. In fact, bismuth's electric and thermal conductivity is unusually low for a metal. It also has a particularly low melting point, which enables it to form alloys that can be used for molds, fire detectors and fire extinguishers. Until recently, bismuth was considered the heaviest element that still had a stable nucleus.
However, in , researchers at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale in Orsay, France, found that bismuth does decay into thallium, but it has an extremely long half-life: about 20 billion billion years That's 20 followed by 18 zeroes. Put another way, if grams of bismuth the natural isotope had been present at the beginning of the universe more than 14 billion years ago, about Lead is now the heaviest stable element, according to Science magazine.
Though bismuth had been known as early as , it was frequently confused with lead because it was similarly a heavy metal with a low melting point, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. French chemist Claude Geoffroy the Younger was the first to prove that bismuth was distinct from lead in The word "bismuth" is a Latinized version of an Old German word, "weissmuth" or "white substance," possibly named after the element's white oxide, according to Chemicool.
Bismuth has no biological role. However, it has been used as a medicine tripotassium dicitratobismuthate for treatment of stomach upsets. When combined with antibiotics it is used for treatment of some stomach ulcers.
It is also found in hemorrhoid creams such as Anusol cream and Hemocaneas as bismuth oxide. Bismuth Subsalicylate is useful in treating gastric disorders such as colitis, diarrhea, and peptic ulcers. Bismuth is used in a wide variety of pigments ranging from cosmetics to the coloration of glass, decorative glazing, enameling and "metallic" automotive paints, as well as UV or heat-absorbing coatings for outer-space and strategic applications.
Bi-citrate is used in hair coloring dyes to improve color and to deodorize the stabilizing additives. H a z a r d s a n d R i s k s Some medical experts warn against using certain substances containing bismuth because these substances have been found to cause toxic reactions in people which can cause mild kidney damage.
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