Selenium

The chemical element in group VI of the main subgroup is selenium. It has atomic number 34 .

A simple substance is a brittle black non-metal shiny at a break (stable allotropic form, unstable form - cinnabar red). The element belongs to the chalcogens .

The name comes from the Greek. "selena" - the moon. The element is named so due to the fact that in nature it is a satellite of the chemically similar tellurium (named after the Earth) .

Application area

Selenium is used in semiconductor technology (manufacturing of AC rectifiers, photoresistors, etc.) .

It is used in the glass industry to produce ruby-coloured glass, in the vulcanization of rubber, in photography, and in the manufacture of some optical and signaling instruments .

Potassium selenide together with vanadium pentoxide ( V ₂ O ₅ ) is used in the thermochemical production of hydrogen and oxygen from water .

In medicine, selenium is used as a powerful anti-cancer agent, as well as for the prevention of a wide range of diseases. In combination with iodine, selenium is used to treat iodine deficiency diseases and thyroid pathologies. Selenium salts contribute to the restoration of low blood pressure during shock and collapse .