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Published

tellurium

vr.tr.tellurium · thing-q1100

Let an agent explain tellurium as an element and material, relay its uses, supply and hazards from reference and regulatory sources, and separate it from selenium and from its compounds.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.MAT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Element What tellurium is.

Properties

Properties.

Properties

Properties.

  1. What are the physical and chemical properties and isotopes of tellurium? definition
  2. Is the question about the element, a telluride compound or selenium? boundary

Occurrence

Occurrence and production.

Occurrence

Occurrence.

  1. Where does tellurium occur, and how is it produced from copper refining? provenance
  2. Which entry fits copper refining? action
Use Applications.

Applications

Uses.

Applications

Applications.

  1. How is tellurium used in solar cells, thermoelectrics, alloys and other products? provenance
  2. Which entry fits cadmium telluride? action

Supply

Supply and criticality.

Supply

Supply.

  1. What are production volumes, producers and criticality assessments, with sources? measurement
  2. Which sources and years are cited? provenance
Safety Handling and health.

Handling

Handling.

Handling

Handling.

  1. What handling and exposure limits apply to tellurium and its compounds? provenance
  2. Is the question about a specific workplace, which needs its safety officer? boundary

Health

Health effects.

Health

Health.

  1. What health effects are documented, and what do authorities advise? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about their own exposure, which needs a clinician? boundary
Context History and study.

History

Discovery.

History

History.

  1. How was tellurium discovered and named? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Research

Research.

Research

Research.

  1. What research involves tellurium, such as topological materials and recycling? provenance
  2. Which entry fits thermoelectric materials? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.MAT
Other names and narrower kinds
tellurium-126, tellurium-106, tellurium-113, tellurium-117, tellurium-105, tellurium-115m1, tellurium-115m2, tellurium-117m, tellurium-119m, tellurium-121m, tellurium-123m, tellurium-125m

What it is Filled

A brittle, silvery-white metalloid, chemical element 52, in group 16 with sulfur and selenium; rare in the crust and obtained mainly as a by-product of copper refining, it is used in cadmium telluride solar cells, thermoelectric devices, steel and copper alloys, rubber vulcanisation and rewritable optical media.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain tellurium as an element and material, relay its uses, supply and hazards from reference and regulatory sources, and separate it from selenium and from its compounds.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Metalloid of group 16
  • Obtained as a by-product of copper refining
  • Key material for cadmium telluride photovoltaics
  • Exposure causes garlic-like breath odour

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Encourage handling tellurium compounds without protective measures or ventilation.
  • Confuse tellurium with selenium when reporting analysis results.
  • Present supply forecasts as certain for a by-product metal.
  • Advise discarding tellurium-bearing waste outside hazardous waste rules.

Only with a human decision

  • Disposing of tellurium compounds or devices containing them.

May

  • Explain tellurium's properties, sources and uses such as solar cells and alloys.
  • Report supply and production data from published sources.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Toxic compounds put workers and recyclers at risk.
  • Demand for critical metals shapes mining impacts in other countries.

Who is affected

  • Workers handling compounds
  • Recyclers
  • Communities near refineries

Owners Filled

Steward

The person or company that holds it; workplace safety and waste authorities set the rules.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q104567 - registry parent class

related

  • metalloid - the classification
  • selenium - the neighbouring group 16 element
  • solar cell - cadmium telluride photovoltaics
  • copper refining - anode slimes

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.tellurium
  • Wikidata: Q1100 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1100)
  • chemical symbol: Te
  • CAS number: 13494-80-9

Direct properties required Filled

  • atomic number: 52
  • melting point: about 450 degrees C
  • density: about 6.2 g per cubic centimetre
  • crustal abundance: about 1 part per billion - very rare

Recognition required Filled

  • Element 52, group 16 metalloid
  • Brittle silvery crystals
  • Selenium is lighter and red or grey; tellurides are compounds
  • Silvery-white, brittle crystalline solid, or grey-brown powder in amorphous form.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain properties and isotopes
  • explain uses and supply
  • relay safety and handling information
  • distinguish it from selenium and compounds

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Toxicity of compounds and garlic breath from low exposure
  • Supply constraints as a by-product metal
  • Confusion with selenium in analysis

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Occupational exposure limits for tellurium and compounds
  • Chemical classification and labelling rules
  • Critical raw material assessments in the EU and elsewhere

Context of use required Filled

  • Solar cells, thermoelectrics, alloys and other industrial uses.
  • crystalline and amorphous tellurium
  • tellurium isotopes, including long-lived tellurium-128 and 130
  • tellurides such as cadmium telluride and bismuth telluride
  • tellurium in alloys and glass

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q1100: tellurium - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Tellurium - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should isotopes and tellurides be separate entries?
  • How should supply and criticality reports be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged isotope aliases; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1100/spec.json