Introduction
Group: 16 or VI A
Atomic Weight: 127.6
Period: 5
CAS Number: 13494-80-9
Classification
No Stable Isotopes
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Solid (Predicted)
Description • Uses/Function
Discovered by Muller von Reichenstein in 1782; named by Klaproth, who isolated it in 1798. Tellurium is occasionally found native, but is more often found asthe telluride of gold (calaverite), and combined with other metals. It is recovered commercially from the anode muds produced during the electrolyticrefining of blister copper. The U.S., Canada, Peru, and Japan are the largest Free World producers of the element. Crystalline tellurium has a silverywhiteappearance, and when pure exhibits a metallic luster. It is brittle and easily pulverized. Amorphous tellurium is formed by precipitating telluriumfrom a solution of telluric or tellurous acid. Whether this form is truly amorphous, or made of minute crystals, is open to question. Tellurium is a ptypesemiconductor, and shows greater conductivity in certain directions, depending on alignment of the atoms. Its conductivity increases slightly withexposure to light. It can be doped with silver, copper, gold, tin, or other elements. In air, tellurium burns with a greenish-blue flame, forming the dioxide.Molten tellurium corrodes iron, copper, and stainless steel. Tellurium and its compounds are probably toxic and should be handled with care. Workmenexposed to as little as 0.01 mg/m^3 of air, or less, develop “tellurium breath,” which has a garlic-like odor. Forty two isotopes and isomers of telluriumare known, with atomic masses ranging from 106 to 138. Natural tellurium consists of eight isotopes, two of which are radioactive with very long halflives.Tellurium improves the machinability of copper and stainless steel, and its addition to lead decreases the corrosive action of sulfuric acid on leadand improves its strength and hardness. Tellurium is used as a basic ingredient in blasting caps, and is added to cast iron for chill control. Telluriumis used in ceramics. Bismuth telluride has been used in thermoelectric devices. Tellurium costs about 20¢/g, with a purity of about 99.5%. The metalwith a purity of 99.9999% costs about $2/g. 1
• "It is added to some metals, particularly lead, to increase electrical resistance and improve resistance to heat, corrosion, mechanical shock, and wear." 2
Physical Properties
Melting Point:3* 449.51 °C = 722.66 K = 841.118 °F
Electron Configuration: [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p4
n = 5
Electronegativity (Pauling scale):5 2.1
Specific Heat: 0.202 J/g°C 9 = 25.775 J/mol°C = 0.048 cal/g°C = 6.160 cal/mol°C
Earth - Source Compounds: sulfides 15
External Links:
(1) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:31.
Boiling Point:3* 988 °C = 1261.15 K = 1810.4 °F
Sublimation Point:3
Triple Point:3
Critical Point:3
Density:4 6.24 g/cm3
* - at 1 atm
Electron Configuration
Block: p
Highest Occupied Energy Level: 5
Valence Electrons: 6
Quantum Numbers:
ℓ = 1
mℓ = -1
ms = -½
Bonding
Electropositivity (Pauling scale): 1.9
Electron Affinity:6 1.9708 eV
Oxidation States: +4,6,-2
Work Function:7 4.70 eV = 7.5294E-19 J
Ionization Potential
eV 8
kJ/mol
1
9.0096
869.3
2
18.6
1794.6
Ionization Potential
eV 8
kJ/mol
3
27.96
2697.7
4
37.41
3609.5
Ionization Potential
eV 8
kJ/mol
5
58.75
5668.5
6
70.7
6821.5
7
137
13218.5
Thermochemistry
Thermal Conductivity: 2.35 (W/m)/K, 27°C 10
Heat of Fusion: 17.49 kJ/mol 11 = 137.1 J/g
Heat of Vaporization: 52.55 kJ/mol 12 = 411.8 J/g
State of Matter
Enthalpy of Formation (ΔHf°)13
Entropy (S°)13
Gibbs Free Energy (ΔGf°)13
(kcal/mol)
(kJ/mol)
(cal/K)
(J/K)
(kcal/mol)
(kJ/mol)
(s)
0
0
11.88
49.70592
0
0
(g)
47.02
196.73168
43.65
182.6316
37.55
157.1092
Isotopes
Nuclide
Mass 14
Half-Life 14
Nuclear Spin 14
Binding Energy
105Te
104.94364(54)#
1# μs
5/2+#
862.69 MeV
106Te
105.93750(14)
70(20) μs [70(+20-10) μs]
0+
880.08 MeV
107Te
106.93501(32)#
3.1(1) ms
5/2+#
888.15 MeV
108Te
107.92944(11)
2.1(1) s
0+
905.54 MeV
109Te
108.92742(7)
4.6(3) s
(5/2+)
913.61 MeV
110Te
109.92241(6)
18.6(8) s
0+
921.68 MeV
111Te
110.92111(8)
19.3(4) s
(5/2)+#
929.75 MeV
112Te
111.91701(18)
2.0(2) min
0+
947.14 MeV
113Te
112.91589(3)
1.7(2) min
(7/2+)
955.21 MeV
114Te
113.91209(3)
15.2(7) min
0+
963.28 MeV
115Te
114.91190(3)
5.8(2) min
7/2+
971.35 MeV
116Te
115.90846(3)
2.49(4) h
0+
988.74 MeV
117Te
116.908645(14)
62(2) min
1/2+
996.81 MeV
118Te
117.905828(16)
6.00(2) d
0+
1,004.88 MeV
119Te
118.906404(9)
16.05(5) h
1/2+
1,012.95 MeV
120Te
119.90402(1)
STABLE
0+
1,021.02 MeV
121Te
120.904936(28)
19.16(5) d
1/2+
1,029.10 MeV
122Te
121.9030439(16)
STABLE
0+
1,037.17 MeV
123Te
122.9042700(16)
>600E+12 a
1/2+
1,045.24 MeV
124Te
123.9028179(16)
STABLE
0+
1,053.31 MeV
125Te
124.9044307(16)
STABLE
1/2+
1,061.38 MeV
126Te
125.9033117(16)
STABLE
0+
1,069.45 MeV
127Te
126.9052263(16)
9.35(7) h
3/2+
1,077.52 MeV
128Te
127.9044631(19)
2.2(3)E+24 a
0+
1,085.59 MeV
129Te
128.9065982(19)
69.6(3) min
3/2+
1,093.67 MeV
130Te
129.9062244(21)
790(100)E+18 a
0+
1,101.74 MeV
131Te
130.9085239(21)
25.0(1) min
3/2+
1,109.81 MeV
132Te
131.908553(7)
3.204(13) d
0+
1,117.88 MeV
133Te
132.910955(26)
12.5(3) min
(3/2+)
1,116.64 MeV
134Te
133.911369(11)
41.8(8) min
0+
1,124.71 MeV
135Te
134.91645(10)
19.0(2) s
(7/2-)
1,132.78 MeV
136Te
135.92010(5)
17.63(8) s
0+
1,131.54 MeV
137Te
136.92532(13)
2.49(5) s
3/2-#
1,139.61 MeV
138Te
137.92922(22)#
1.4(4) s
0+
1,147.68 MeV
139Te
138.93473(43)#
500# ms [>300 ns]
5/2-#
1,146.43 MeV
140Te
139.93885(32)#
300# ms [>300 ns]
0+
1,154.51 MeV
141Te
140.94465(43)#
100# ms [>300 ns]
5/2-#
1,153.26 MeV
142Te
141.94908(64)#
50# ms [>300 ns]
0+
1,161.33 MeV
Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends. Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses. 14
Abundance
Earth -
Crust:
0.001 mg/kg = 0.0000001% 15
Earth -
Total:
1490 ppb 16
Mercury -
Total:
122 ppb 16
Venus -
Total:
830 ppb 16
Chondrites - Total: 0.60 (relative to 106 atoms of Si) 17
Compounds
Safety Information
Material Safety Data Sheet - ACI Alloys, Inc.
For More Information
American Elements
Chemical & Engineering News
Chemical Elements
ChemGlobe
Chemicool
Environmental Chemistry
Sources
(2) - Whitten, Kenneth W., Davis, Raymond E., and Peck, M. Larry. General Chemistry 6th ed.; Saunders College Publishing: Orlando, FL, 2000; p 953.
(3) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:132.
(4) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:39-4:96.
(5) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 10:147-10:148.
(6) - Speight, James. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 16th ed.; McGraw-Hill Professional: Boston, MA, 2004; p 1:132.
(7) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 10:178 - 10:180.
(8) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 4:133.
(9) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:193, 12:219-220.
(10) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:123-6:137.
(11) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; pp 6:107-6:122.
(12) - Dean, John A. Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, 12th ed.; McGraw-Hill Book Company: New York, NY, 1979; p 9:4-9:94.
(13) - Atomic Mass Data Center. http://amdc.in2p3.fr/web/nubase_en.html (accessed July 14, 2009).
(14) - Silberberg, Martin S. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, 4th ed.; McGraw-Hill Higher Education: Boston, MA, 2006, p 965.
(15) - Lide, David R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 83rd ed.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002; p 14:17.
(16) - Morgan, John W. and Anders, Edward, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 6973-6977 (1980)
(17) - Brownlow, Arthur. Geochemistry; Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1979, pp 15-16.