Bismuth has long been considered as the element with the highest atomic mass that is stable. Bismuth metal has been known since ancient times, although until the 18th century it was often confused with lead and tin, which share some physical properties. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead. Bismuth is the most naturally diamagnetic element and has one of the lowest values of thermal conductivity among metals. Bismuth compounds account for about half the production of bismuth. They are used in cosmetics, pigments, and a few pharmaceuticals, notably bismuth subsalicylate. Bismuth's unusual propensity to expand upon freezing is responsible for some of its uses, such as in casting of printing type. Bismuth has unusually low toxicity for a heavy metal. As the toxicity of lead has become more apparent in recent years, there is an increasing use of bismuth alloys (presently about a third of bismuth production) as a replacement for lead.
D**Y
Good for experimenting with with your child, there is enough here to produce interesting crystals!
This bismuth produced some wonderful crystals and was fun and safe to experiment with (after taking the correct precautions for melting metal in the home)My 9yr old loves experimenting with home science and being a Youtube fan he told me bismuth produces wonderful crystals when melted and allowed to cool.I did a little research and as far as I could see it was a a very safe metal to experiment with in terms of fumes. I bought a small pan from a charity shop, some goggles and some gloves. When we melted the bismuth it oxidized on cooling and we were able to pick out small squares of crystals. Really good fun and we are going to purchase a larger piece soon.
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