Zack Kelly, F. Ojebuoboh
Apr 1, 2002
Citations
0
Influential Citations
6
Citations
Journal
JOM
Abstract
Bismuth trioxide (Bi2O3) is the prevalent commercial oxide of bismuth. A precursor to the preparation of other compounds of bismuth, including the chemical reagents, bismuth trioxide has specialized uses in optical glass, flame-retardant paper, and, increasingly, in glaze formulations where it substitutes for lead oxides. In the last decade, bismuth trioxide has also become a key ingredient in flux formulations used by mineral analysts in fire assaying. The production of bismuth trioxide generally begins with the minor metal bismuth. This paper describes bismuth trioxide production and the properties and basis for its use in environmentally sound fire assaying.