Germanium is a silver-grey hard and brittle semi-conductive metal with stable chemical properties and does not interact with air at room temperature. Metal germanium and its compounds have good semiconductor properties, excellent infrared optical properties and good transmittance to microwaves. According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the global germanium consumption structure accounts for 30% in the optical fiber communications industry, 20% in infrared optics, 20% in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and 20% in the solar and electronic fields. Accounting for 15%, and other fields such as medicine accounting for 15%. It is not difficult to see from these data that germanium has extensive and important applications in the fields of optical fiber communications, infrared optics, semiconductors, aerospace, solar cells, chemical catalysts, and biomedicine, and is an important strategic resource.
Small metal, big skills
Why does germanium not have much content but has many application fields? This is closely related to the dual nature of the germanium element.
Although germanium is a metal, it has many properties similar to non-metals.
It can be clearly seen in the periodic table of elements that germanium is located on the dividing line between metallic elements and non-metallic elements, and elements near the dividing line often have both metallic and non-metallic properties.
eyes in the dark night
The night low-altitude infrared navigation and targeting system was used on a large scale in actual combat for the first time, becoming the "eyes" of fighter aircraft in night operations, allowing soldiers to move as freely as during the day in the dark.
Since then, the armies of various countries have begun to equip infrared thermal imaging equipment in large quantities. The manufacturing of key optical component materials such as lenses, prisms, windows, and filters in infrared radars, infrared detectors, night vision devices, and infrared trackers is inseparable from germanium.
In the civilian field, high-definition infrared detection cameras can capture images of rare wild animals' nighttime activities, helping people better understand and protect wild animals and contribute to biodiversity.
In addition, germanium is also indispensable for human beings to explore the universe in the vast expanse of space. Germanium-based solar cells have good resistance to space radiation and high temperature resistance, higher photoelectric conversion efficiency and lower power generation costs, and are widely used in space stations and other fields. Germanium is also the lens component of infrared tracking instruments, the "eyes" of aerospace vehicles.
"Paving Stone" for Information Transmission
In the Internet age, everyone must have had this experience. The slow loading progress bar when watching news makes people upset, and the lag when watching videos makes people scratch their heads. The above problems can be solved by operators upgrading the bandwidth. If broadband is the "road" of information communication, then optical fiber is the "highway" on the road, and germanium is the "paving stone" of the highway. Germanium tetrachloride can be used to make optical fiber preforms, playing a doping role and photoelectric conversion. It is an essential raw material for making optical fibers.
Optical fiber is a widely used communication conductor and there is currently no substitute. Since the 21st century, the annual growth rate of global optical fiber demand has been as high as 20%. In particular, the demand for communications in developing countries has continued to grow rapidly. With the development of my country's "Broadband China" strategy, the implementation of the "Internet +" concept and "speed increase and fee reduction" and other policies, as well as the arrival of the 5G Internet of Everything era, the demand for optical fiber continues to increase.
The "magic pill" for longevity
Health and longevity have been a topic of concern to people since ancient times. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" and "Compendium of Materia Medica" all list Ganoderma lucidum as a top medicine, and it is a treasure among precious medicinal materials. Modern medical research shows that Ganoderma lucidum contains a variety of alkaloids, the main components of which are "germanium" ions and polymer polysaccharides, which can enhance the body's self-healing power and immunity and improve human health. In addition, rare Chinese herbal medicines such as ginseng, wolfberry, and hozen eyes, as well as vegetables such as garlic and potatoes, contain organic germanium. Tests by Chinese scholars have found that 20-year-old wild ginseng contains germanium up to 400×10-6, while garden ginseng (artificially cultivated) rarely exceeds 50×10-6.
Kind tips
Can anything containing germanium be eaten?
No.
The germanium element is divided into organic germanium and inorganic germanium.. Inorganic germanium is mainly derived from coal and sulfide ore. The germanium single crystal and bismuth germanate crystal (Bi12GeO20) formed after processing and extraction can be used in the field of infrared optics. Only germanium that exists in the form of organic salts is called organic germanium and is beneficial to the human body. Organic germanium can be divided into synthetic and pure natural. The first organic germanium, tetraethylgermanium, was synthesized in 1887. So far, more than 200 kinds of organic germanium have been synthesized. Among them, the most important thing is that in 1967, Japanese medical doctor Kazuhiko Asai and others synthesized water-soluble organic germanium oxide Ge-132 (scientific name: β-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide). It can induce the body to produce gamma-interferon, and can induce the transformation of "sleeping" macrophages into anti-tumor macrophages, thereby inducing anti-cancer interferon activity. Since then, organic germanium has begun to show its talents in the fields of pharmaceuticals, health products and cosmetics.
At present, organic germanium has been used clinically to treat various cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, hypertension and other symptoms. The medical community has hailed organic germanium as the "savior germanium" for mankind in the 21st century.