Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a lustrous, hard, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbors silicon and tin. Germanium was discovered by Clemens Winkler in 1886, and named after Germany. Its existence was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1871 as ekasilicon, a term he used to describe a predicted element between silicon and tin in his periodic table. Germanium is an important semiconductor material used in transistors and other electronic devices. It is also used as a phosphor in fluorescent lamps and as a catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles. Germanium has a crystalline structure and is a brittle metalloid. It is a good electrical conductor and has a high index of refraction, making it useful as an optical material. Germanium is also transparent to infrared radiation, which makes it useful in infrared spectroscopy and thermal imaging. Germanium is produced mainly from sphalerite, a zinc sulfide mineral, and is also found in some copper, lead, and silver ores. Germanium has several isotopes, with germanium-76 being the most abundant. Germanium-72 is used in the production of medical isotopes, while germanium-68 is used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Germanium is not considered toxic, but its dust can be irritating to the eyes, skin, and lungs.
chemical element, metalloid, semiconductor, transistors, phosphor
CITATION : "Andrew Nelson. 'Germanium.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=320601 (Accessed on July 16, 2025)"
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