Selenium properties

The physical properties of the Selenium also offer big advantages with respect to radiation shielding and beam collimation. Within the comparison of radiation isodose areas the required area-radius for a survey of 40pSv/h result in a shut off area that is for Selenium only half the size as for iridium. Sources of similar activity and collimators of same absorbtion value (95%) have been used to obtain values as mentioned in Table 3 below. 

Extreme care should be taken when working with selenium dioxide because of its poisonous properties. 

Selenium exhibits both photovoltaic action, where light is converted directly into electricity, and photoconductive action, where the electrical resistance decreases with increased illumination. These properties make selenium useful in the production of photocells and exposure meters for photographic use, as well as solar cells. Selenium is also able to convert a.c. electricity to d.c., and is extensively used in rectifiers. Below its melting point selenium is a p-type semiconductor and is finding many uses in electronic and solid-state applications. 

This chapter is an attempt to present the important results of studies of the synthesis, reactivity, and physicochemical properties of this series of compounds. The subject was surveyed by Bulka (3) in 1963 and by Klayman and Gunther (4) in 1973. Unlike the oxazoles and thiazoles. there are few convenient preparative routes to the selenazoles. Furthermore, the selenium intermediates are difficult to synthesize and are often extremely toxic selenoamides tend to decompose rapidly depositing metallic selenium. This inconvenience can be alleviated by choice of suitable reaction conditions. Finally, the use of selenium compounds in preparative reactions is often complicated by the fragility of the cycle and the deposition of metallic selenium. 

The ability of various selenium heterocycles to check the loss of orthophosphate caused by irradiation of ATP has been studied by Brucker and Bulka (92). They found that only 2-amino-4,5-dimethyiselenazole shows radioprotective properties, while other 2-aminoselenazoles, selenosemicarbazides, and acetone selenosemicar-bazones possess no such activity but are in addition very sensitive to radiation (93). 

Inorganic Compounds. Inorganic selenium compounds are similar to those of sulfur and tellurium. The most important inorganic compounds are the selenides, haUdes, oxides, and oxyacids. Selenium oxidation states are —2, 0, +1, +2, +4, and +6. Detailed descriptions of the compounds, techniques, and methods of preparation, and references to original work are available (1—3,5,6—10, 51—54). Some important physical properties of inorganic selenium compounds are Hsted in Table 3. 

Table 3. Physical Properties of Inorganic Selenium Compounds ...

Bina Selenides. Most biaary selenides are formed by beating selenium ia the presence of the element, reduction of selenites or selenates with carbon or hydrogen, and double decomposition of heavy-metal salts ia aqueous solution or suspension with a soluble selenide salt, eg, Na2Se or (NH 2S [66455-76-3]. Atmospheric oxygen oxidizes the selenides more rapidly than the corresponding sulfides and more slowly than the teUurides. Selenides of the alkah, alkaline-earth metals, and lanthanum elements are water soluble and readily hydrolyzed. Heavy-metal selenides are iasoluble ia water. Polyselenides form when selenium reacts with alkah metals dissolved ia hquid ammonia. Metal (M) hydrogen selenides of the M HSe type are known. Some heavy-metal selenides show important and useful electric, photoelectric, photo-optical, and semiconductor properties. Ferroselenium and nickel selenide are made by sintering a mixture of selenium and metal powder. 

Metallui ical. The metallurgical appfications of selenium normally involve its use as a minor alloying additive to enhance the properties of both ferrous and nonferrous metals and alloys (see Iron Steel). 

Selenium has also been shown to act synergistically with bismuth to improve the machinabifity of brasses (113). The machining properties are similar to those of the leaded brasses used in plumbing appfications. Environmental concerns arising from the leaching of lead brasses necessitates a replacement of the lead. 

Selenium chalcogenide glasses exhibit good infrared transmission properties. These are used as lenses (ZnSe, CdSe) in laser apphcations and have potential applications in fiber optics (qv) and in data storage and retrieval. 

Rubber. The mbber industry consumes finely ground metallic selenium and Selenac (selenium diethyl dithiocarbamate, R. T. Vanderbilt). Both are used with natural mbber and styrene—butadiene mbber (SBR) to increase the rate of vulcanization and improve the aging and mechanical properties of sulfudess and low sulfur stocks. Selenac is also used as an accelerator in butyl mbber and as an activator for other types of accelerators, eg, thiazoles (see Rubber chemicals). Selenium compounds are useflil as antioxidants (qv), uv stabilizers, (qv), bonding agents, carbon black activators, and polymerization additives. Selenac improves the adhesion of polyester fibers to mbber. 

One area of research is the replacement of sulfur with selenium to enhance the potency of organic compounds in pharmaceutical apphcations. This has seldom been successflil and often the toxicity is increased. There are some exceptions, eg, selenazofurin, phenylaminoethyl selenide, ebselen, and selenotifen (64). Selenazofurin is a cytotoxic compound having antitumor properties, phenyl aminoethyl selenide is used to reduce hypertension, ebselen inhibits a variety of inflammatory and tissue damaging reactions, and selenotifen is an antiallergic agent. 

There are numerous synthetic and natural compounds called antioxidants which regulate or block oxidative reactions by quenching free radicals or by preventing free-radical formation. Vitamins A, C, and E and the mineral selenium are common antioxidants occurring naturally in foods (104,105). A broad range of flavonoid or phenoHc compounds have been found to be functional antioxidants in numerous test systems (106—108). The antioxidant properties of tea flavonoids have been characterized using models of chemical and biological oxidation reactions. 

Comprehensive accounts of the analytical chemistry of teUurium have been pubUshed (5,26—30). The analytical methods for the determination of teUurium are to a considerable extent influenced by the element s resemblance, in many of its properties and in its limited terrestrial abundance, to selenium. 

Tellurium Selenides. TeUurium selenides or selenium teUurides are unknown. The molten elements are miscible in aU proportions. The mixtures are not simple soUd solutions but have a complex stmcture. Like the sulfides, the selenides exhibit semiconductor properties. 

Chemical Properties. The most significant chemical property of L-ascorbic acid is its reversible oxidation to dehydro-L-ascorbic acid. Dehydro-L-ascorbic acid has been prepared by uv irradiation and by oxidation with air and charcoal, halogens, ferric chloride, hydrogen peroxide, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, neutral potassium permanganate, selenium oxide, and many other compounds. Dehydro-L-ascorbic acid has been reduced to L-ascorbic acid by hydrogen iodide, hydrogen sulfide, 1,4-dithiothreitol (l,4-dimercapto-2,3-butanediol), and the like (33). 

These are known as chemically pure (CP) cadmiums. With the development of other uses for cadmium and selenium, costs have risen substantially in recent years. Some cost reduction may be obtained by use of the cadmium Hthopones. These have the same relative shades but have been coprecipitated onto about 60% barium sulfate. The resulting extensions give better money value, if the higher pigment loading can be tolerated, with no loss in properties. 

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