LEAD TELLURIDE

Chemical properties

irregular chunks with metal lustre

Chemical properties

Lead telluride, PbTe, forms white cubic crystals, sp gr 8.16, and has a hardness of 3 on the Mohs’ scale. It is very slightly soluble in water, melts at 917 °C, and is prepared by melting lead and tellurium together. Lead telluride has semiconductive and photoconductive properties.

The Uses of LEAD TELLURIDE

Lead telluride is used in pyrometry, in heat-sensing instruments such as bolometers and infrared spectroscopes, and in thermoelectric elements to convert heat directly to electricity. Lead telluride is also used in catalysts for oxygen reduction in fuel cells, as cathodes in primary batteries with lithium anodes, in electrical contacts for vacuum switches, in lead-ion selective electrodes, in tunable lasers, and in thermistors.

The Uses of LEAD TELLURIDE

In photoconductor cells; in semiconductor research.

The Uses of LEAD TELLURIDE

In semiconductor research, photoconductor cellsLead(II) telluride is used as an infrared detector material. It is also used in spacecraft power applications. Further, it is used in infrared detection, imaging and in solar cells. In addition, it acts as a semiconductor and photoconductor in the form of single crystals.

General Description

This product has been enhanced for energy efficiency.

Structure and conformation

The space lattice of PbTe belongs to the cubic system, and its rock salt structure has a lattice constant of a=0.317 nm.