Chemical Properties
Blackish brown powder
Physical properties
Brownish black orthogonal crystal; density 6.78 g/cm
3; hardness 2 Mohs; melts at 850°C; insoluble in water; soluble in acids.
Occurrence
Bismuth sulfide occurs in nature as the mineral bismuthinite (bismuth glance). It is used as a starting material to produce many other bismuth compounds.
Uses
Bismuth(III) sulfide is used as a starting material to produce other bismuth compounds. It is used in glass industry as a colorant, electronic ceramics, scintillator BGO and in superconductors.
Preparation
The compound occurs in nature as mineral bismuthinite. It can be prepared in the laboratory by passing hydrogen sulfide into a solution of bismuth chloride or any soluble bismuth salt:
2BiCl
3 + 3H
2S → Bi
2S
3 + 6HCl
Alternatively, bismuth sulfide may be obtained by melting a mixture of bismuth and sulfur.
2Bi + 3S → Bi
2S
3
General Description
Bismuth(III) sulphide can be precipitated by hydrogen sulphide from bismuth solutions. 1
Flammability and Explosibility
Non flammable
