Tellurium Oxide (TeO2)-Pellets

Characteristic

Tellurium dioxide (TeO₂) is a solid oxide of tellurium. It is encountered in two different forms, the yellow orthorhombic mineral tellurite, β-TeO₂, and the synthetic, colourless tetragonal (paratellurite), α-TeO₂. Most of the information regarding reaction chemistry has been obtained in studies involving paratellurite, α-TeO₂.

Chemical formula：TeO₂

Molar mass：159.60 g/mol

Appearance：white solid

Density：5.670 g/cm³(orthorhombic)

                6.04 g/cm³ (tetragonal) 

Melting point：732 °C (1,350 °F; 1,005 K)

Boiling point：1,245 °C (2,273 °F; 1,518 K)

Solubility in water：negligible

Solubility：soluble in acid and alkali

Refractive index (nD)：2.24

Application

It is used as an acousto-optic material.

Tellurium dioxide is also a reluctant glass former, it will form a glass under suitable cooling conditions, or with small molar% additions of a second compound such as an oxide or halide. TeO₂ glasses have high refractive indices and transmit into the mid-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, therefore they are of technological interest for optical waveguides. Tellurite glasses have also been shown to exhibit Raman gain up to 30 times that of silica, useful in optical fibre amplification.