| Abstract: | Overview -- Selenium, which is one of the chalcogen elements in group 16 (or 6A) of the periodic table, is a semiconductor that is chemically similar to sulfur for which it substitutes in many minerals and synthetic compounds. It is a byproduct of copper refining and, to a much lesser extent, lead refining. It is used in many applications, the major ones being a decolorizer for glass, a metallurgical additive to free-machining varieties of ferrous and nonferrous alloys, a constituent in cadmium sulfoselenide pigments, a photoreceptor in xerographic copiers, and a semiconductor in electrical rectifiers and photocells.
Refined selenium amounting to more than 1,800 metric tons (t) was produced by 14 countries in 2000. Japan, Canada, the United States, and Belgium, which were the four largest producers, accounted for nearly 85 percent of world production. An estimated 250 t of the world total is secondary selenium, which is recovered from scrapped xerographic copier drums and selenium rectifiers; the selenium in nearly all other uses is dissipated (not recoverable as waste or scrap). The present selenium reserve bases for the United States and the world (including the United States), which are associated with copper deposits, are expected to be able to satisfy demand for selenium for several decades without difficulty. |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 55663 |
| Citation Author: | Butterman, W. C.; Brown, R. D., Jr. |
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| Citation Edition: | Version 1.0, Online Only |
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| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
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| Citation Online Only Flag: | Y |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | 20 p. |
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| Citation Series: | Open-File Report |
| Citation Series Code: | OFR |
| Citation Series Number: | 2003-18 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Mineral Commodity Profiles: Selenium; 2004; OFR; 2003-18; Butterman, W. C.; Brown, R. D., Jr. |
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| Citation Year: | 2004 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Mineral Commodity Profiles: Selenium; 2004; OFR; 2003-18; Butterman, W. C.; Brown, R. D., Jr. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-018/ |
| Date Other: | Thu, 1 Jul 2004 00:00 -0500 |
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