Discovered by Paul-Emile Lacoq de Boisbaudran at Paris,
France.
Remarks
Soft, silvery-white metal, stable in air and with water. Soluble in
acids and alkalis. Longest liquid range of all elements. Semiconductor
properties with nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony. Used in light-emitting
diodes; microwave equipment.
Diagnostic tests:
there are no simple chemical tests for gallium. Atomic Absorption
Spectroscopy is used for quantitative analysis and Energy Dispersive
Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) is used for qualitative analysis.
References
Emsley, J., 1991; THE ELEMENTS : Sec. Ed.,
Clarendon Press, Oxford, 251 p.
(Ca,Fe++,Th, La)(La,REE,Ca)(Al,Cr,Ti)2(Mg,Fe,Al)Si3O12(OH,F) with La > Ce
551.33
(* - Mineral Name Is Not IMA Approved)
(! - New Dana classification added or changed from Danas New Mineralogy)
(? - IMA Discredited Mineral Species Name)
There are 11 minerals with Ga in the Mineralogy Database.