Facts About Germanium

Shiny and silvery, yet very brittle, germanium is an important component in

semiconductors and fiber optics. Some people think germanium supplements have
health benefits, but research has not supported those claims.

Just the facts

 Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 32

 Atomic symbol (on the periodic table of elements): Ge
 Atomic weight (average mass of the atom): 72.630
 Density: 3.077 ounces per cubic inch (5.323 grams per cubic cm)
 Phase at room temperature: solid
 Melting point: 1,720.9 degrees Fahrenheit (938.3 degrees Celsius)
 Boiling point: 5,131 F (2,833 C)
 Number of natural isotopes (atoms of the same element with a different
number of neutrons): 5. There are also 19 artificial isotopes created in a lab.
 Most common isotopes: Ge-74 (36.28 percent of natural abundance), Ge-72
(27.54 percent of natural abundance), Ge-79 (20.84 percent of natural
abundance), Ge-73 (7.73 percent of natural abundance), Ge-76 (7.61 percent of
natural abundance)

History

The existence of germanium was predicted by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in

1869, after he developed the periodic table of elements, according to Chemistry
Explained. Arranging the elements by atomic weight left some gaps in the table.
Mendeleev theorized that there were several elements yet to be discovered, including
element No. 32. In 1885, Clemens Winkler, a German chemist, discovered what was
then referred to as "eka-silicon" in an ore known as argyrodite. The ore contained silver,
sulfur, iron oxide, and zinc with about 7 percent of the unknown metal.

According to Chemistry Explained, Mendeleev had predicted that element 32 would

have a density of 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter (5.5 times the density of water) and
atomic weight of 70 (a little less than four times the atomic weight of water): very close
to the actual density (5.323 grams per cubic centimeter) and atomic weight (72.630) of
germanium. The accuracy of Mendeleev's prediction increased chemists' confidence in
the periodic table.
Who knew?

 Germanium is metalloid, which means it has properties of both metals and

nonmetals. Other metalloids on the periodic table are boron, silicon, arsenic,
antimony, tellurium, and polonium, according to the Los Alamos National
Laboratory.
 Germanium is one of the few elements that expand when it freezes, like
water does, according to Chemicool. Others include gallium, silicon, bismuth and
antimony.
 The name "germanium" comes from the Latin name for Germany, named for
Winkler's home country, according to the Jefferson Lab.
 According to Chemicool, the abundance of germanium in the Earth's crust is
about 1.5 parts per million by weight, and the abundance in the solar system is
about 200 parts per billion by weight.
 Germanium's value was recognized during World War II, according to Emily
Darby, a chemistry student at Harvey Mudd College, when it was used in high-
resolution radar receivers. The first germanium transistor was invented shortly
afterward.
 According to the U.S. Geological Survey, approximate percentages of the uses
of germanium are: 30 percent for infrared (IR) optics, including detectors; 20
percent fiber optics used in communications; 20 percent polyethylene
terephthalate used in a variety of products such as cloth fibers, food containers,
and resins; 15 percent for electronics and solar cells for solar panels; and 5
percent for phosphors, metallurgy, and organics including medications.
 Germanium is primarily mined with zinc ore as well as with argyrodite,
germanite, and coal according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. According
to Chemistry Explained, germanium is mined in Alaska, Tennessee, China, the
United Kingdom, Ukraine, Russia and Belgium.
Health claims

There have been claims that germanium may be beneficial for health, including
improving the immune system, oxygen supply in the body, and destroying free radicals.
According to Healthline, germanium has also been considered to be beneficial in
treating allergies, asthma, arthritis, HIV/AIDS and various forms of cancer.

There is, however, little to no scientific support of these claims, and using germanium
supplements or medications can lead to many side effects, including kidney damage,
anemia, muscle weakness and lack of coordination, and elevated liver enzymes,
according to Healthline.

In experiments, a derivative of germanium called spirogermanium has been shown to

inhibit replication in certain cancer cells, but human studies show it has adverse effects
and is not suitable as an anticancer treatment, according to the Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center.

Current research

Germanium is commonly used in detectors in a variety of fields, according to a study

published in Applied Physics Letters in 2016. The study discusses the high efficiency
of germanium photodetectors when used in the visible and near infrared spectra of light.
The germanium detectors were compared to conventional silicon based photodetectors
and, according to the authors, had better signal to noise ratio and responses near the
ends of the spectral range of light able to be observed with the detectors.
Germanium was tested for use in photodetectors due to its small bandgap, or the
easier ability for electrons to jump to a higher energy state, which is common in
semiconductor metals. These photoconductors are used in many types of technologies
that are used in our everyday lives such as television remote controls, automatically
opening doors common at large stores, and fiberoptic communication systems as well
as many scientific uses in astronomy, laboratory research, and environmental
monitoring according to LaserFocusWorld. With increased efficiency due to the higher
absorption of germanium in photodetectors versus traditional materials such as silicon,
more and better information can be received in the target wavelength.

Discovery date 1886

Discovered by Clemens Winkler

Origin of the
The name is derived from the Latin name for Germany, 'Germania'.
name
Allotropes α-Ge, ß-Ge
Image explanation

Germanium was used in early transistors similar to the one featured here.

Appearance

A silvery-white semi-metal. It is brittle.

Uses

Germanium is a semiconductor. The pure element was commonly doped with arsenic, gallium or other elements and
used as a transistor in thousands of electronic applications. Today, however, other semiconductors have replaced it.

Germanium oxide has a high index of refraction and dispersion. This makes it suitable for use in wide-angle camera
lenses and objective lenses for microscopes. This is now the major use for this element.

Germanium is also used as an alloying agent (adding 1% germanium to silver stops it from tarnishing), in fluorescent
lamps and as a catalyst.

Both germanium and germanium oxide are transparent to infrared radiation and so are used in infrared
spectroscopes.

Biological role

Germanium has no known biological role. The element is non-toxic. Certain germanium compounds have low toxicity
in mammals, while being effective against some bacteria. This has led some scientists to study their potential use in
pharmaceuticals.

Natural abundance

Germanium ores are very rare. They are found in small quantities as the minerals germanite and argyrodite.

Germanium minerals are also present in zinc ores, and commercial production of germanium is carried out by
processing zinc smelter flue dust. It can also be recovered from the by-products of combustion of certain coals.

Germanium is not found as the free element in nature. Germanium is found in germanite,

argyrodite, and some zinc ores. It is also present in coal and its presence in coal insures

reserves for many years.