Common Elements and Their Uses

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USES

POLONIUM / Po

Is produced today in gramme

quantity from bismuth in

nuclear reactors. Used as source of alpha radiation.

BISMUTH

/ Bi

Has been used in forensic work and

also used in cosmetic to give

pearly effect.

GERMANIUM / Ge

Is a very important

semiconductor. It’s pure elements are dropped with other elements

and used as transistor.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USES

ASTATINE / At

Dangerously radioactive

element made in nuclear reactors,

its half life is only eight hours.

SELENIUM / Se

Is used in photo-electric cells, photocopiers, solar cells and

semiconductors.

TELLERIUM / Te

It’s compound are to be avoided

because not only are they

poisonous but contact with even

the tiniest amounts lead to unpleasant body

odors.

INDIUM

/ In

Is used in low melting alloys for

firesplinker systems in shops and

warehouses. It has no known biological

role but is teratogenic.

THALLIUM

/ Tl

Was once used in rat poison and hair

removers but it is now banned.

CADMIUM

/ Cd

Is a silvery metal produced a by-product of zinc refining. It is a poison and also

known to cause birth defects and cancer.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USES

PALLADIUM

/ Pd

Resist corrosion, but dissolves in

oxidizing acids and fused alkalis and

used as catalysts in the chemical

industry.

RHODIUM

/ Rh

Is the rarest of all metal on Earth.

World production is only three tones a year, mainly for catalyst in the

chemical industry.

IRIDIUM

/ Ir

Is used in special alloys, for the

contact in spark plugs, hardening

agent for platinum.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USES

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESRUTHENIUM

/ Ru

Is used to harden plaatinum, palladium and as a catalysts in

the chemical industry. Like gold,

this metal can be found in the free

state.

OSMIUM

/ Os

Is as rare as gold, like gold it can be found

as the free metal. It is used in making high

quality pen nibs.

MANGANESE

/ Mn

Decomposes in cold water slowly and will burn in oxygen. It is an essential element for all living things.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESTECHNITIU

M

/ Tc

Is today obtained as grey powder and in

tonne quantities from spent nuclear fuel

rods. It is also an excellent

superconductor at 11k and

below.

RHENIUM/ Re

Is used in filaments and for catalyst in the chemical

industry.

CHROMIUM

/ Cr

Is used in alloys, ceramics and

essential element for

human because it helps us to

use glucose and also added to

steel to produce stainless steel.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESMOLYBDENUM

/ Mo

It’s metal produced and solid as grey

powder and used in alloys, catalysts,

electrodes. Also used in valves and boiler

plates.

TUNGSTEN

/ W

Is used for the filaments of light bulbs. It is alloyed

with other metals to strenghten them, example: military

armour and cutting tools.

VANADIUM

/ V

Is used in alloy, steel and coloured

television screens.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESNIOBIUM

/ Nb

Resists corrosion due to an oxide film and

added in small amounts to improve stainless steels and also used in plating

and coins.

TANTALUM

/ Ta

Is very resistant to corrosion and so

finds use in equipment for

handling corrosive materials and used in making medical skull

plates.

TITANIUM

/ Ti

Is used to make lightweight alloys in replacement of hip joints and chemical

plants.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESZIRCONIUM

/ Zr

Is used in nuclear reactors, briccks,

ceramics and abrasives. Scissors and knives can be

made from it.

HAFNIUM

/ Hf

Alloys are used to make control rods for

nuclear reactors because it will absorb

neutrons and has a very high melting

point.

YTTRIUM

/ Y

Is used in television screen to produce the colour red and also in radar technology. It is

employed in superconductors, metal oxides that

conduct electricity without any loss of

energy.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESBERRYLIUM

/ Be

Is so reactive t is stored under oil and also used in gear and

cogs.

STRONTIUM

/ Sr

Is used to make special glass for

television, but its best known as the brilliant red salts used to fire

works and flares.

BARIUM

/ Ba

A soft silvery metal that rapidly tarnishes in air and reacts with water and also used to patients suffering digestive disorders.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESRADIUM

/ Ra

Radiation source; Self luminous points; Radiotherapy device.

LITHIUM

/ Li

Lubricants, dry cells; Storage batteries;

glass and Pharmaceuticals.

RUBIDIUM;

/ Rb

Gas scavenger in vacuum. Photocell

component; Thermoelectric

generator.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESURANIUM

/ U

Nuclear fuel; X-ray; “Vaseline”; Glass

production.

GALLIUM

/ GA

Quartz thermometers; transistors; alloy

component.

PLATINUM

/ Pt

Grudbles, wire, jewelleries,

Thermocouple; jet nozzles; Lighters.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESTHORIUM

/ Th

Laboratory crucibles Wels Bach mantle; Alloying element

SCANDIUM

/ Sc

Spacecraft materials; High intensity lights;

Tracing agent for refinary.

CESIUM

/ Cs

Photoelectric cells; “Getter” in electron

tubes; atomic clocks.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESOXYGEN

/ O

Air supply; Oxy- acetylene welding; Steel making agent.

ANTIMONY

/ Sb

Bearings; Batteries; Tracer bullets; cables;

Ceramic enamels.

SILICON

/ Si

Solar cells; transistors; Rectifiers;

Lubricants.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESTIN

/ Sn

Cans; Panel Lighting; Super conductive

magnets.

LEAD

/ Pb

Batteries; cable cover; Drain pipes; Paints; Radiation

shield.

ZINC

/ Zn

Gutter; Pipes; Paints; Cosmetics; Soaps;

Inks; Textiles; Roofs.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESSILVER

/ Ag

Used for Silverware; Utensils;

Photographic materials; Coins;

jewelleries; Medals.

NICKEL

/ Ni

Used for Coins; Stainless making

Catalyst for hydrogenation for oil

MAGNESIUM

/ Mg

Used for Bicycle parts; Brick for

farces; medicine; propellants

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESPOTTASIUM

/ K

Fertilizers; Heat transfer agent;

“Strike anywhere” matches; fireworks;

explosives.

KRYPTON

/ Kr

Fluorescent lamps; Photographic flash

lamps; Basis of meter length.

BORON

/ B

Tennis rockets; Glasses; Arthritis

treatment; Pyrotechnic flares.

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESCOBALT

/ Co

Razor Blades, “ Alnico” alloy: Jet

turbines: electroplating

BROMINE

/ Br

Photographic films; Gasoline antiknock;

Flame proofing agents

PHOSPHORUS

/ P

Matches; fireworks pesticides; fertilizers

water softener

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESRADON

/ Rn

Therapeutic use

Fluorine

/ F

Toothpaste additive; High temperature

plastics; refrigerant

ARGON

/ Ar

Light bulbs; Arc welding;; flourescent

light

COMMON ELEMENTS AND THEIR USESXENON

/ Xe

Sun lamps; UV lamps; vacuum and

electron tubes; bubble chambers

IODINE

/ I

Disinfectant; photographic

materials; radioactive tracer

ARSENIC

/ As

Hardening shots; laser materials;

poisons; insecticides; doing agents