 Discovery Information |
| Who:
Franz Muller von Reichenstein
|
| When: 1782 |
| Where: Romania |
|
| Name Origin |
| Greek: tellus (the Earth). |
|
| Sources |
| Obtained as a by-product of copper and lead refining. Also found in the mineral calaverite. Most tellurium is produced in the USA, Canada, Peru and Japan. |
|
| Uses |
| Used to improve the machining quality of metal products and to color glass and ceramics. Also used in thermoelectric devices, vulcanization of rubber, percussion caps, battery plate protectors and electrical resistors. |
|
| Notes |
| Tellurium and tellurium compounds should be considered to be toxic and need to be handled with care. |
