A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table

173

The Oxygen Group

Tellurium

Te

52

Forms Uses

Tellurium is one of the 10 rarest elements

on this planet. It gets its name from the Latin

word tellus, which means Earth. This element is

often found as a compound with another element,

such as the metal nickel, as in the case of the ore

melonite. Tellurium is also produced as a waste

product when lead and copper are refined. Pure

tellurium can take on two forms: a shiny, metallic

solid or a brown powder. This element is mainly

used in the glass of fibre optics, which carry

high volumes of information much faster than

copper cables.

Tellurium

protects

bronze from

corroding

easily in air.

This ore is a soft

but dense solid.

The solar panels are

linked to power cells

containing tellurium.

These glass fibres

contain tellurium.

This metallic crust

contains tellurium,

gold, and silver.

Red-tinted glass bottle

Topaz solar farm,

California, USA

This semi-metal can form

silvery white crystals.

Fibre optics

Melonite

Sy

lva

nite

52 52 76

State: Solid

Discovery: 1783

This deep red

colour comes

from adding

tellurium.

Pu

re^

tellu

rium^ c

rystals refined

(^) in (^) a
(^) lab
ora
to
ry
172-173_Selenium_Tellurium.indd 173 12/12/16 5:40 pm