BI Full Form, History, Properties, Isotopes, Applications

BI Full Form: The full Form of BI in Chemistry is Bismuth. Bismuth is a heavy metal known for its low toxicity, unique physical properties, and growing importance in medicine, industry, and electronics. The Bismuth element name comes from the German word ‘wissmuth’, means “white mass”, and it is derived from its appearance.

The density of the BI free element is 86% that of Pb (lead). When new, it is a silvery-white, brittle metal.

In most cases, surface oxidation results in a slightly rosy cast on metal samples, because of thin-film interference, bismuth can appear vividly iridescent when further oxidized under heat.

In this article we will cover every information about BI Full Form, complete details about its uses, characteristics, and interesting facts.

BI Full Form

Full Form of BI is Bismuth, which is a chemical element with the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a soft, brittle metal known for its pinkish-silver color. Bismuth is found naturally in the crust of the earth and it is commonly used when ores of other metals such as lead, copper and tin occur together.

Bismuth is special because it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly and hence an excellent lead substitute in a variety of merchandises. It is applied to drugs, cosmetics, and fire detectors as well as low-melting-point alloys. It is one of the heaviest stable elements in the periodic table in which it falls in the group of post-transition metals.

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BI Full Form: Bismuth Basic Properties

Bismuth is a heavy, brittle, breakable metal with exceptional physical and chemical properties. One of the least thermally conductive metals and the most diamagnetic element is Bismuth. Here is an overview of the Bismuth properties.

BI History and Etymology

Bismuth (BI) is one of the earliest metals discovered by the ancients. Here is a detail of events relating to the history and etymology of bismuth:

• Known since ancient times due to its natural occurrence in native form and compounds.
• Middle Ages miners believed bismuth was an incomplete form of silver, developing from base metals.
• Discovery caused dismay among miners who thought they had interrupted silver formation.
• 15th-century Basil Valentine referred to it as “Wismut”, possibly from German for “white mass.”
• Georgius Agricola Latinized the term to “bisemutum” and described how to extract it from ores.
• Johann Heinrich published works on chemistry in 1739.
• Claude-François Geoffroy confirmed bismuth as a separate metal in 1753.

Bismuth Occurrence and Production

The reported distribution of BI in the Earth’s crust has been poorly specified by the sources, from 180ppb, which is comparable to silver to 8ppb, which is twice as abundant as gold). The most important ores of bismuth are bismite & bismuthinite. Native bismuth is reported from Australia, Bolivia, and China.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that there were 10,200 tonnes of bismuth produced worldwide via mining and 17,100 tonnes via refining in 2016. Since then, USGS has declined to provide any mining data for bismuth because they felt the data wasn’t high enough quality.

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Bismuth Physical Characteristics

Bismuth is distinguished by its extreme brittleness, density, and aesthetic appeal. These are bismuth’s primary physical characteristics.

• Bismuth is a brittle metal, having a dark silver-pinkish color, and displays rainbow colors due to an iridescent oxide tarnish. The crystals of bismuth were typically spiral, step-ladder or “hopper” in form, which is a result of the outer edges of the crystal growing faster than the center.
• Burning bismuth in oxygen results in a blue flame and yellow fumes of bismuth oxide. It is much less toxic than similar metals like lead and antimony.
• Bismuth is the most naturally diamagnetic metal, with the highest thermal conductivities found in manganese, neptunium, and plutonium.
• It also has the highest Hall coefficient among metals and high electrical resistivity. In thin films, it can behave as a semiconductor.
• Unusually, liquid bismuth is denser than its solid form, and it expands by 3.32% upon solidification, making it useful in low-melting alloys like typesetting metal.

BI Chemical Characteristics

Here is an overview of the bismuth Chemical properties. Bismuth behaves chemically differently from the heavy metals around it due to its stable +3 oxidation state and low reactivity.

• BI is stable at room temperature in both moist and dry air. When heated to a red temperature, it reacts with water to form bismuth(III) oxide: 2 Bi + 3 H₂O → Bi₂O₃ + 3 H₂
• It only produces bismuth(III) halides when it reacts with other halogens; when it reacts with fluorine, it produces bismuth(V) fluoride at 500 °C (932 °F) or bismuth(III) fluoride at lower temperatures (usually from Bi melts). The oxyhalides with the formula BiOX are created when the corrosive trihalides readily react with moisture. (Reaction: 4 Bi + 6 X₂ → 4 BiX₃ where X = F, Cl, Br, I)
• On reacting with air, they form bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX). (Reaction: 4 BiX₃ + 2 O₂ → 4 BiOX + 4 X₂)
  Bismuth(III) sulfate, water, and sulfur dioxide gas are the products of bismuth’s dissolution in concentrated H₂SO₄. (Reaction: 6 H₂SO₄ + 2 Bi → 6 H₂O + Bi₂(SO₄)₃ + 3 SO₂)
• It reacts with HNO₃ to form bismuth(III) nitrate and nitrogen dioxide gas. (Reaction: Bi + 6 HNO₃ → 3 H₂O + 3 NO₂ + Bi(NO₃)₃)
• Bismuth also dissolves in hydrochloric acid, but only when oxygen is present. (Reaction: 4 Bi + 3 O₂ + 12 HCl → 4 BiCl₃ + 6 H₂O)

Bismuth Isotopes

Bismuth’s long half-life and significant medical uses make its isotopic behavior remarkable. Here is an overview of the Bismuth Isotopes:
Bismuth-209, the only primordial isotope of bismuth, was believed to be the heaviest stable nuclide but had been suspected to be unstable based on theoretical arguments for some time.

This was first shown in 2003, when researchers at the Institut d’astrophysique spatiale in Orsay, France, determined that the half-life for alpha (α) decay of 209Bi was 2.01×1019 years (3 Bq/Mg), more than one hundred nine (109) times longer than the universe’s estimated age.

Applications of Bismuth

Bismuth is used across many industries due to its non-toxicity, unique expansion properties, and electrical characteristics. Here are its major applications:

1. Medicine

• Bismuth is utilized in a few medicines but certainly is even less as one of these medicines is no longer made or used.
• Bismuth subsalicylate, found in products like Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate (since 2004), is used to treat diarrhea.
• Bibrocathol (Antiseptic) is an organic bismuth-based compound used in the treatment of eye infections
• Bismuth subgallate, the active component of Devrom, serves as an internal deodorizer to treat the foul smell from flatulence and feces.

2. Cosmetics and Pigments

• Bismuth white (BiOCl/BiONO₃): Used as a pigment in a variety of products.
• Bismuth oxychloride: Provides shimmer in cosmetics and as a pigment or color agent for hair and nail polish.
• Bismuth vanadate: An alternative to hazardous Cd pigments is bismuth vanadate, a lemon-yellow pigment. Since ancient Egypt, bismuth compounds—which are stable and non-toxic—have been utilized in cosmetics.

3. Electronics and Transistors

• Bi₂Te₃ used in thermoelectric devices.
• Improves semiconductor performance.
• Reduces Schottky barriers in devices.

4. Alloys and Metallurgy

• Fire sprinklers use wood’s metal, which is composed of Bismuth, Lead, Cd, and Sn.
• Bismuth Bronze: Used historically in Incan knife blades.
• Safety devices use Rose’s Metal, which is composed of Bismuth, Lead, and Tin.
• Expands on solidifying – ideal for dental molds, plumbing, and machinable steel.

Bismuth Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

According to scientific studies, some bismuth compounds are less harmful to people when consumed than other heavy metals (such as lead, arsenic, antimony, etc.). This is most likely because bismuth salts are relatively insoluble. According to reports, its biological half-life for whole-body retention is five days; however, in patients who receive bismuth compounds, it can stay in the kidney for years.

It is possible to get bismuth poisoning, which has reportedly become more common in recent years. Like lead (Pb) poisoning, bismuth (BI) poisoning can result in the formation of a black deposit on the gingiva known as a bismuth line. Although there is conflicting evidence regarding its efficacy, dimercaprol may be used to treat poisoning.

BI Full Form FAQs

What is the chemical name of Bi?

The Chemical Name of BI is Bismuth.

What is a BI mineral?

BI is a silvery-white metallic element with a pinkish tint. The majority of bismuth is recovered as a by-product of lead processing, although bismuthinite and bismite are the most common bismuth minerals.

What is the Greek name for bismuth?

This name can be derived from the German weisse masse (white mass), which was changed to wismuth and then bismuth, or from the Greek psimudos (silver white).

What are the sources for bismuth?

Bismuth is mainly found in nature as a part of minerals like bismite (Bi₂O₃) and bismuthinite (Bi₂S₃). It is also obtained as a by-product during the refining of metals like lead, copper, tin, and silver.

What is bismuth used for?

Bismuth is widely used in medicines (like antacids and stomach ulcer treatments), cosmetics, low-melting alloys, and fire safety devices. It is also used as a safer, non-toxic alternative to lead in many products.