Galium (Ga):
(6)|
Galium (Ga):
|
(6) |
| Atomic #: | 31 |
| Number of protons/electrons (with no charge): | 31 |
| Number of neutrons: | 39 |
| Atomic mass average: | 69.723 amu |
| Group: | 13 |
| Period: | 4 |
| Series: | metals |
| Boiling point: | 2676°K, 2403°C, 4357°F |
| Melting Point: | 302.9°K, 29.9°C, 85.8°F |
| Density: | 5.907 g/cc (grams per cubic centimeter) @ 293K |
| At room temperature: | soft silver - white solid (similar properties to aluminum) |
| Above (near) room temperature: | Melts to a silver liquid form, like that of mercury. Gallium has a large liquid phase range and low vapor pressure, so like mercury, it is used in high temperature thermometers |
| Naturally found in: | bauxite, germanite, coal |
| Uses: | painted on glass and porcelain, computer memory, semiconductor production, quartz thermometers, transistors, laser diodes, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and used to locate tumors |
| Regulatory / Health / Toxicity: |
OSHA: United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (federal agency responsible for the enforcement of workplace safety regulations) Sets no maximum permissible (allowable) exposure limit (PEL) for Gallium (unlike Mercury - PEL of 0.1 mg/cubic m) |
|
NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (United States) (responsible for researching and developing recommended health/safety standards) Sets no maximum recommended exposure limit (REL) for Gallium (unlike Mercury - REL of 0.1 mg/cubic m) (3) |
|
| Cost: | Can be supplied in ultra pure form (99.99999+%). It costs about $3/g. (5) |
| Meaning of name: | Latin word "Gallia" (meaning the old name of France) |
| Discovered by: | French chemist Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran |
| Discovered in: | 1875 |
Footnotes:
1) Chem Globe., Galium. http://www.vcs.ethz.ch/chemglobe/ptoe/_/31.html
2) Chemical Elements., Periodic Table: Gallium. http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/ga.html
3) Environmental Chemistry., Periodic Table of Elements: Ga - Gallium. http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Ga.html
4) Jefferson Lab., It's Elemental: Gallium. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele031.html
5) Los Alamos National Laboratory., Periodic Table: Gallium. http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/31.html
6) WebElements., Gallium. http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Ga/key.html