Uranium telluride

Selenium and Tellerium Tantalum is attacked by selenium and tellurium vapours at temperatures higher than 80°C. Only slight attack is observed on the metal by liquid selenides and tellurides of ytirum, the rare earths, and uranium at temperatures of 1300 to 2100°C, and tantalum is considered to be a satisfactory material in which to handle these intermetallic compounds. 

The structural chemistry of the actinides is often similar to that of lighter transition metals, such as Zr and Hf, and to that of the lanthanides however, the diffuse nature of the 5/ orbitals leads to some differences and specifically to interesting magnetic and electrical properties. The actinide sulfides are generally isostructural with the selenides, but not with the analogous tellurides. The binary chalcogenides of uranium and thorium have been discussed in detail [66], but the structural... 

Uranium Tellurlde, UgTej.—This is the only compound of uranium and tellurium the existence of which is definitely established. It is formed when hydrogen containing tellurium vapour is passed over the double sodium uranium chloride at 1000° C., or when the chloride is heated with sodium telluride in hydrogen at the same temperature. ... 

Tellurium formed by irradiation of uranium with thermal neutrons may have reacted with carbon monoxide to give carbon oxide telluride. ... 

The 3,3 -diaminobenzidine method has been applied for determination of Se in biological materials [28,66], soils [67], air [68], silicates [11], sulphide ores [1], copper [8,14,18], organic substances [69], lead [8,14], steel [29], antimony and bismuth tellurides [70], thin Cd-Se films [71], silver chloride and uranium oxide [12],... 

The dithizone method has been used for determining silver in sewage [12], aluminium and its compounds [51], uranium compounds [52], tin [26], lead [53], gold [54], metal tellurides [55,56], and glass and ceramic materials [57]. 

Tougait, O., Potel, M., Noel, H., Characterization of the binary uranium and thorium tellurides, Inorg. Chem., 37, (1998), 5088-5091. Cited on pages 306, 308. 

At red heat tantalum reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide to form tantalum sulfide (Ta2S4). At lower temperatures the metal is completely inert. In like maimer, at elevated temperatures on the order of at least 800°C, tantalum powder or shavings react with elemental carbon, boron, and silicon to form the corresponding binary compoimds. Tantalum also reacts with vapors of phosphorus, selenium, and tellurium at comparable temperatures. In contrast, there is only slight attack on the metal by liquid selenides and tellurides of the rare earths and uranium in the range 1300-2100°C, and tantalum is considered a satisfactory material for handling these intermetallic compoimds. 

In 1798 Martin Klaproth, who had earlier discovered and named uranium, isolated the same silvery white metal from the same problematical ore. Klaproth, however, recognized that he and Muller had isolated a new element for which he suggested the name tellurium, meaning earth. He properly acknowledged the prior work of the Baron, who is consequently listed as its discoverer. Later it was found that tellurium does occasionally exist as the free element but more often than not exists as the gold telluride. Oddly, workers who process this ore and the metal derived from it acquire a garUc-Hke odor to their breath, a condition referred to (rather honestly but certainly not flatteringly) as tellurium breath. 

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