Bismuth Trioxide

Description

Bismuth(III) oxide is perhaps the most industrially important compound of bismuth. It is also a common starting point for bismuth chemistry. It is found naturally as the mineral bismite (monoclinic) and sphaerobismoite (tetragonal, much more rare), but it is usually obtained as a by-product of the smelting of copper and lead ores. Bismuth trioxide is commonly used to produce the “”Dragon’s eggs”” effect in fireworks, as a replacement of red lead. General applications of bismuth (III) oxide are:production of optical glasses with high indices of refraction, precursor in the production of other bismuth compounds. Formula Bi2O3 Molar mass 465.96 g/mol CAS Number 1304-76-3 Density 8.93 g/cm3 at 20°C (68°F) Purity/Grade 99.9% trace metals basis (ReagentPlus) Appearance Light yellow powder