a b Sipos, P. L.; Megyes, T. N.; Berkesi, O. (2008). "The Structure of Gallium in Strongly Alkaline, Highly Concentrated Gallate Solutions—a Raman and 71 Gallium is predominantly used in electronics. Gallium arsenide, the primary chemical compound of gallium in electronics, is used in microwave circuits, high-speed switching circuits, and infrared circuits. Semiconducting gallium nitride and indium gallium nitride produce blue and violet light-emitting diodes and diode lasers. Gallium is also used in the production of artificial gadolinium gallium garnet for jewelry. Gallium is considered a technology-critical element by the United States National Library of Medicine and Frontiers Media. [8] [9]

Vigilante, G. N.; Trolano, E.; Mossey, C. (June 1999). "Liquid Metal Embrittlement of ASTM A723 Gun Steel by Indium and Gallium". Defense Technical Information Center . Retrieved 2009-07-07. Gallium does not crystallize in any of the simple crystal structures. The stable phase under normal conditions is orthorhombic with 8 atoms in the conventional unit cell. Within a unit cell, each atom has only one nearest neighbor (at a distance of 244 pm). The remaining six unit cell neighbors are spaced 27, 30 and 39pm farther away, and they are grouped in pairs with the same distance. [22] Many stable and metastable phases are found as function of temperature and pressure. [23] The melting point of gallium, at 302.9146K (29.7646°C, 85.5763°F), is just above room temperature, and is approximately the same as the average summer daytime temperatures in Earth's mid-latitudes. This melting point (mp) is one of the formal temperature reference points in the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) established by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). [13] [14] [15] The triple point of gallium, 302.9166K (29.7666°C, 85.5799°F), is used by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in preference to the melting point. [16]

Electrons and Electron Configuration

The rarity of gallium is a strong factor that determines the asking price of this metal. But another influence is the rate at which China produces the metal and also how much gallium they have available. As the world's biggest producer of aluminium (and therefore, gallium as a byproduct), China's output can heavily influence the demand and price of gallium. Besides its applications in the medical field, gallium is mostly used in electronics. Roughly 95% is used to create gallium arsenide (GaAs). The latter is an essential component in circuits, semiconductors and LEDs. Gallium is also used to make alloys with low melting points. Due to its liquid properties, it is also a safer choice than liquid mercury to be used inside thermometers and barometers. Production Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi: 10.1088/1674-1137/abddae. High-resolution photographs of molten gallium, gallium crystals and gallium ingots under Creative Commons licence In 2010, China restricted export quotas of rare earths to Japan following a territorial dispute between the countries, sending prices of rare earths soaring and Japan scrambling to find other sources of supply. Beijing said at the time the curbs were based on environmental concerns.

Gallium reacts with the chalcogens only at relatively high temperatures. At room temperature, gallium metal is not reactive with air and water because it forms a passive, protective oxide layer. At higher temperatures, however, it reacts with atmospheric oxygen to form gallium(III) oxide, GaGallium has no known natural role in biology. Gallium(III) behaves in a similar manner to ferric salts in biological systems and has been used in some medical applications, including pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals. During the processing of bauxite to alumina in the Bayer process, gallium accumulates in the sodium hydroxide liquor. From this it can be extracted by a variety of methods. The most recent is the use of ion-exchange resin. [58] Achievable extraction efficiencies critically depend on the original concentration in the feed bauxite. At a typical feed concentration of 50ppm, about 15% of the contained gallium is extractable. [58] The remainder reports to the red mud and aluminium hydroxide streams. Gallium is removed from the ion-exchange resin in solution. Electrolysis then gives gallium metal. For semiconductor use, it is further purified with zone melting or single-crystal extraction from a melt ( Czochralski process). Purities of 99.9999% are routinely achieved and commercially available. [60] Bauxite mine in Jamaica (1984)

Gallium can be used for making several very low melting point alloys, some as low as -18 degrees Celsius using Tin and Indium! It is used as a non-toxic mercury alternative in some applications. You get a plastic test tube (83x12mm including lid) containing just over 10 grams of pure Gallium. It is an ionic compound strongly insoluble in water. However, it dissolves in hydrofluoric acid, in which it forms an adduct with water, GaF Gallium is a chemical element with atomic number 31 which means there are 31 protons in its nucleus. Total number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number of the atom and is given the symbol Z. The total electrical charge of the nucleus is therefore +Ze, where e (elementary charge) equals to 1,602 x 10 -19 coulombs. Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nded.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8. digallane) is formed as a gas. Its structure is similar to diborane, having two hydrogen atoms bridging the two gallium centers, [29] :1031 unlike α- AlHHampson, N. A. (1971). Harold Reginald Thirsk (ed.). Electrochemistry—Volume 3: Specialist periodical report. Great Britain: Royal Society of Chemistry. p.71. ISBN 978-0-85186-027-5. The total number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is called the neutron number of the atom and is given the symbol N. Neutron number plus atomic number equals atomic mass number: N+Z=A. The difference between the neutron number and the atomic number is known as the neutron excess: D = N – Z = A – 2Z. A Trojan-horse strategy selected to fight bacteria". INFOniac.com. 2007-03-16 . Retrieved 2008-11-20.