Germanium
Chemical symbol: Ge
Specific gravity: 5.32 g/cm3
Colour: polished silver
Melting temperature: 938.2?C
Germanium is considered one of the rarest metals in the world with an extremely shiny appearance and characterised by the same crystalline structure as diamond. A factor that distinguishes it is connected to its being a semiconductor. In its pure state, germanium is quite fragile, but the aspect that makes it truly unique is connected to its density, which in the solid state is lower than when it is brought to the liquid state, a factor that makes it a true enigma for science.
Applications of germanium
Fibreglass production
Night vision devices
Radiotechnology
Infra-red optical equipment
Detectors
Catalyst
Photographic lenses
Fibre optics
