Bismuth Ingot

A metal that has emerged as an ideal substitute for lead, mercury, cadmium, antimony and other toxic metals, in the market. This metal can be found easily in low-melt alloys. This silver, brittle metal with faint pink tinge has Bi as atomic symbol, 83 as atomic number. It can melt at 521 °C temperature and boil at 2847 °C. This metal with a density of 9.78 g/cm3 and 2.25 Moh's hardness is a non-toxic and stable to water & oxygen. This corrosion resistant metal when heated in open generates blue flame and yellow clouds of its oxide. In comparison to other metal elements, this metal has the highest electrical resistance. Production This metal can be naturally found in Bi2S3 and Bi2O3. It is also heavily produced as a by-product in the process of lead smelting. It can also be extracted from ores of zinc, tin and tungsten. Betterton-Kroll and the Betts are two processes that are carried out to extract bismuth metal from lead. China, Belgium, UK, Peru, Mexico are some of the largest producers of bismuth. Applications Pure Bismuth is not used in metallurgical applications, given to its high brittleness. It is therefore finds use as an additive alloy in steel, iron, copper and aluminum. This is alloyed with other metals in order to make resultant alloys tougher and machineable. It is also used in production of pigments, crystal ware and ceramic glazes. Additionally, it is used in the foundry and pharmaceutical industry.