{"id":186,"date":"2020-04-09T09:48:12","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T09:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/?page_id=186"},"modified":"2023-08-15T15:21:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T15:21:26","slug":"bismuth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/bismuth\/","title":{"rendered":"Bismuth (Bi)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bismuth is a chemical element with the atomic number 86 in the periodic table<\/a>. With 0.00002% of abundance, it\u2019s the 71<\/span>st<\/span> most abundant chemical element in Earth\u2019s crust. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Element 86 is a pentavalent chemical element that participates in many compounds, as well as a member of the post-transition metals family of elements. The chemical properties of this pnictogen resemble the properties of the Group 15 members arsenic<\/a> and antimony<\/a>, except bismuth is a far less toxic substance. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a chemical substance with low toxicity, bismuth and its compounds are widely used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, as well as in the medicine and metal industries.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chemical and Physical Properties of Bismuth<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Property<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Symbol<\/td>Bi<\/td><\/tr>
Name<\/td>Bismuth<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic number<\/td>83<\/td><\/tr>
Group<\/td>Metal<\/td><\/tr>
Period<\/td>6 (p-block)<\/td><\/tr>
Color<\/td>A silvery-gray metal<\/td><\/tr>
Physical state<\/td>Solid at room temperature<\/td><\/tr>
Half-life<\/td>From 6.6(15) milliseconds to 2.01(8)\u00d71019 years<\/td><\/tr>
Electronegativity<\/td>2.02<\/td><\/tr>
Density<\/td>9.8 g\/cm\u00b3<\/td><\/tr>
Melting point<\/td>271.406\u00b0C, 520.531\u00b0F, 544.556 K<\/td><\/tr>
Boiling point<\/td>1564\u00b0C, 2847\u00b0F, 1837 K<\/td><\/tr>
Van der Waals radius<\/td>0.152 nm<\/td><\/tr>
Ionic radius<\/td>1.03 (+3) \u00c5<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic weight<\/td>208.98037<\/td><\/tr>
Isotopes<\/td>37<\/td><\/tr>
Most characteristic isotope<\/td>209Bi<\/td><\/tr>
Electronic shell<\/td>[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the first ionization<\/td>703 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the second ionization<\/td>1610 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the third ionization<\/td>2466 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the fourth ionization<\/td>4362.3 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the fifth ionization<\/td>5394 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
Discovery date<\/td>Known to the ancients<\/td><\/tr>
Crystal Structure<\/td>Rhombohedral<\/td><\/tr>
Shells<\/td>2,8,18,32,18,5<\/td><\/tr>
Valence<\/td>3,5<\/td><\/tr>
Covalent Radius<\/td>1.46 \u00c5<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Radius<\/td>1.63 \u00c5<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Volume<\/td>21.3 cm\u00b3\/mol<\/td><\/tr>
Name Origin<\/td>German: bisemutum, (white mass), Now spelled wismut<\/td><\/tr>
Pronounced<\/td>BIZ-meth<\/td><\/tr>
Oxydation States<\/td>(3),5<\/td><\/tr>
Uses<\/td>Pharmaceuticals and low melting point alloys used as fuses<\/td><\/tr>
Description<\/td>Silvery-gray, extremely rare, radioactive metal<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the periodic table symbol Bi, atomic number 86, atomic mass of 208.9804 g.mol<\/span>-1<\/span>, and electron configuration [Xe] 4f<\/span>14<\/span> 5d<\/span>10<\/span> 6s<\/span>2<\/span> 6p<\/span>3<\/span>, bismuth is a coarsely crystalline brittle metal with a silvery-white color and exceptionally bright metallic luster. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It reaches its boiling point at 1564\u00b0C, 2847\u00b0F, 1837 K, while the melting point is achieved at 271.406\u00b0C, 520.531\u00b0F, 544.556 K. This member of the post-transition metals family of elements has an electronegativity of 1.9 according to Pauling, whereas the atomic radius according to van der Waals is 0.152 nm.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bismuth is a heavy metal with similar chemical properties to arsenic and antimony. It\u2019s the most diamagnetic among all metals classified in the periodic table, which indicates that this chemical element is not attracted to a magnetic field under any condition. Namely, when exposed to a magnetic field, the electrical resistance of element 86 increases more than that of other metals. Also, bismuth also has a lower thermal conductivity in comparison with the metals classified in the periodic table of chemical elements.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, element 86 also has the highest <\/span>Hall effect<\/span><\/a> of any metal. When exposed to air, bismuth oxidizes and develops an iridescent oxide tarnish on its surface that displays a wide array of colors – from yellowish pink tinge to blue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Was Bismuth Discovered?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bismuth metal is one of the first metals that has been discovered by ancient civilizations. For instance, the Incas practiced mixing bismuth metal with copper<\/a> and tin to create a <\/span>bronze alloy<\/span><\/a> for making tools and light weapons, such as knives. Incas knew how to utilize metal bismuth without causing the bronze to break due to bismuth\u2019s brittleness. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Egyptians, Romans, Greeks<\/a>, Asians, and Chinese were also familiar with the practical properties of this chemical element. Ancient Egyptians, just like the Incas, were able to make mirrors of polished bronze which were made by adding some bismuth to it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until the 18th century, bismuth was confused with the elements antimony, lead<\/a>, and tin<\/a>. According to the Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus (whose real name was Theophrastus von Hohenheim), there were two varieties of antimony. One was the black form used for the purification of gold<\/a> and resembled lead. The other one was a white substance that resembled tin. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, we know that antimony and bismuth are analogs of each other and that they also share the chemical properties of lead and tin – elements classified in Group 14 in the periodic table (before bismuth). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, the German mineralogist and metallurgist Georgius Agricola (1494 \u2013 1555) observed bismuth as a new substance. Agricola was also able to describe in detail the extraction process of the bismuth metal from ores obtained from the mineral mines in Saxony. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea of bismuth as an independent metal remained undefined until the 18th century. French chemist Claude Geoffroy (1729 \u2013 1753) was the first chemist to recognize bismuth as a chemical element in 1753. By performing a series of chemical trials, Geoffrey succeeded in distinguishing element 86 as a separate substance from lead and tin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Did Bismuth Get Its Name?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The name of element 86 dates from around the 1660s. It\u2019s very likely a language variant of the German word ‘<\/span>bisemutum<\/span><\/i>‘. This term supposedly stems from the words ‘<\/span>weisse masse<\/span><\/i>‘, which means \u2018a <\/span>white mass<\/span><\/i>\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Where Can You Find Bismuth?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bismuth is a chemical element that can often be found in its pure, elemental form in Earth\u2019s crust. Naturally occurring bismuth is mostly found in a form of oxide, sulfide, or carbonate in silver<\/a>, lead<\/a>, zinc<\/a>, and tin<\/a> mineral deposits, such as <\/span>bismite<\/span><\/i> (bismite oxide) and <\/span>bismuthite<\/span><\/i> (bismuth sulfide). These minerals are typically associated with sulfide ores of lead, as well as with copper<\/a> and tin dioxide.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United States, metallic bismuth is mostly obtained as a byproduct of lead and copper smelting. The largest natural bismuth deposits in the world are found in Bolivia, Japan, Peru, Mexico, and Canada.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

List of Bismuth Minerals<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In its elemental form, bismuth can be traced in the following minerals:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n