Germanium metal (Ge)-Single crystal

Characteristic

Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbours silicon and tin. Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon. Like silicon, germanium naturally reacts and forms complexes with oxygen in nature.

Phase at STP:solid

Appearance:grayish-white

Melting point:1211.40 K (938.25 °C, 1720.85 °F)

Boiling point:3106 K (2833 °C, 5131 °F)

Density (near r.t.):5.323 g/cm³

when liquid (at m.p.):5.60 g/cm³

Heat of fusion:36.94 kJ/mol

Heat of vaporization:334 kJ/mol

Molar heat capacity:23.222 J/(mol·K)

Application

Germanium is an excellent semiconductor, which can be used for detecting high frequency current and rectifying alternating current.Germanium compounds can be used to make fluorescent plates and various kinds of glass with high refractive index.