These range from liquids to hard, glasslike solids with many useful properties.Įlemental silicon transmits more than 95% of all wavelengths of infrared and and has been used in lasers to produce coherent light at 456 nm. The rocks with silicon and oxygen are called silicates. Hydrolysis and condensation of substituted chlorosilanes can be used to produce a very great number of polymeric products, or silicones. You will always find silicon bound to other elements, such as oxygen (O). It is usually tetravalent in its compounds, although sometimes its bivalent, and it’s purely electropositive in its chemical behaviour. It’s a metalloid with a marked metallic luster and very brittle. It does not combine with oxygen or most other elements. Workers in environments where silicaceous dust is breathed may develop a serious lung disease known as silicosis. Silicon is the most abundant electropositive element in The Earth’s crust. Silicon is a relatively inactive element at room temperature. Silicon carbide is one of the most important abrasives. Silicon is an important ingredient in steel. Silicon, like water, expands as it changes from liquid to solid. The most common form of silicon in the Earth's crust is silicon dioxide in the form of sand or quartz. Silicon crystals for electronics must have a purity of one billion atoms for every non-silicon atom (99.9999999 pure). Diatoms in both fresh and salt water extract silica from the water to use as a component of their cell walls. Silicon is the eighth most abundant element in the universe. Silicon is important in plant and animal life. Silicon is found also in minerals such as asbestos, feldspar, clay and mica. It is found largely as silicon oxides such as sand (silica), quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate, flint, jasper and opal. Silicon makes up 25.7% of the earth's crust by weight, and is the second most abundant element, exceeded only by oxygen. Silicon is present in the sun and stars and is a principal component of a class of meteorites known as aerolites.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |