Material Properties Archivy - Page 34 of 80

Boron and Oxygen – Comparison – Properties

2021-01-05 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of boron and oxygen, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Boron vs Oxygen.

boron and oxygen - comparison

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Boron and Oxygen – About Elements

Boron

Significant concentrations of boron occur on the Earth in compounds known as the borate minerals. There are over 100 different borate minerals, but the most common are: borax, kernite, ulexite etc. Natural boron consists primarily of two stable isotopes, 11B (80.1%) and 10B (19.9%). In nuclear industry boron is commonly used as a neutron absorber due to the high neutron cross-section of isotope 10B. Its (n,alpha) reaction cross-section for thermal neutrons is about 3840 barns (for 0.025 eV neutron). Isotope 11B has absorption cross-section for thermal neutrons about 0.005 barns (for 0.025 eV neutron). Most of (n,alpha) reactions of thermal neutrons are 10B(n,alpha)7Li reactions accompanied by 0.48 MeV gamma emission.

Oxygen

Oxygen is a colourless, odourless reactive gas, the chemical element of atomic number 8 and the life-supporting component of the air. It is a member of the chalcogen group on the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as well as with other compounds. By mass, oxygen is the third-most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen and helium.

Boron in Periodic Table

Oxygen in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Boron and Oxygen – Applications

Boron

Nearly all boron ore extracted from the Earth is destined for refinement into boric acid and sodium tetraborate pentahydrate. In the United States, 70% of the boron is used for the production of glass and ceramics. The major global industrial-scale use of boron compounds (about 46% of end-use) is in production of glass fiber for boron-containing insulating and structural fiberglasses, especially in Asia. Boron is added to boron steels at the level of a few parts per million to increase hardenability. Higher percentages are added to steels used in the nuclear industry due to boron’s neutron absorption ability (e.g. pellets of Boron Carbide). Boron can also increase the surface hardness of steels and alloys through boriding. Boron carbide and cubic boron nitride powders are widely used as abrasives.

Oxygen

Common uses of oxygen include production of steel, plastics and textiles, brazing, welding and cutting of steels and other metals, rocket propellant, oxygen therapy, and life support systems in aircraft, submarines, spaceflight and diving. Smelting of iron ore into steel consumes 55% of commercially produced oxygen. In this process, oxygen is injected through a high-pressure lance into molten iron, which removes sulfur impurities and excess carbon as the respective oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. Uptake of oxygen from the air is the essential purpose of respiration, so oxygen supplementation is used in medicine. Treatment not only increases oxygen levels in the patient’s blood, but has the secondary effect of decreasing resistance to blood flow in many types of diseased lungs, easing work load on the heart.

Boron and Oxygen – Comparison in Table

Element	Boron	Oxygen
Density	2.46 g/cm3	0.00143 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	N/A	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	N/A	N/A
Mohs Scale	9.5	N/A
Brinell Hardness	N/A	N/A
Vickers Hardness	49000 MPa	N/A
Melting Point	2079 °C	-218.4 °C
Boiling Point	3927 °C	-183 °C
Thermal Conductivity	27 W/mK	0.02674 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	5-7 µm/mK	N/A
Specific Heat	1.02 J/g K	0.92 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	50.2 kJ/mol	(O2) 0.444 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	508 kJ/mol	(O2) 6.82 kJ/mol

Beryllium and Aluminium – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of beryllium and aluminium, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Beryllium vs Aluminium.

beryllium and aluminium - comparison

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Beryllium and Aluminium – About Elements

Beryllium

Beryllium is a hard, grayish metal naturally found in mineral rocks, coal, soil, and volcanic dust. The commercial use of beryllium requires the use of appropriate dust control equipment and industrial controls at all times because of the toxicity of inhaled beryllium-containing dusts that can cause a chronic life-threatening allergic disease in some people called berylliosis. Beryllium has a large scattering cross section for high-energy neutrons, about 6 barns for energies above approximately 10 keV. Therefore, it works as a neutron reflector and neutron moderator, effectively slowing the neutrons to the thermal energy. Since berylium has very low threshold energy for neutron emission, it can be used as a neutron source in nuclear reactors. The Sb-Be source is based on (γ,n) reaction (i.e. it emits photoneutrons).

Aluminium

Aluminium is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic, ductile metal in the boron group. By mass, aluminium makes up about 8% of the Earth’s crust; it is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon and the most abundant metal in the crust, though it is less common in the mantle below.

Beryllium in Periodic Table

Aluminium in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Beryllium and Aluminium – Applications

Beryllium

Berylium can be utilized as alloying agent in production of beryllium-copper, X-ray detection diagnostics, manufacture of computer peripherals, in nuclear reactors as neutron moderators and reflectors. 80% of the beryllium used goes into copper beryllium alloys. The combination of light weight with high strength at extreme temperatures makes beryllium metal and aluminium beryllium alloys ideal for use in high performance aerospace applications such as components of rockets. Transparency to x-radiation makes pure beryllium metal essential in security equipment and high-resolution medical imaging technology, such as mammography to detect breast cancer. Copper beryllium is the hardest and strongest of any copper alloy (UTS up to 1,400 MPa), in the fully heat treated and cold worked condition. It combines high strength with non-magnetic and non-sparking qualities and it is similar in mechanical properties to many high strength alloy steels but, compared to steels, it has better corrosion resistance.

Aluminium

Aluminium and its alloys are used widely in aerospace, automotive, architectural, lithographic, packaging, electrical and electronic applications. It is the prime material of construction for the aircraft industry throughout most of its history. About 70% of commercial civil aircraft airframes are made from aluminium alloys, and without aluminium civil aviation would not be economically viable. Automotive industry now includes aluminium as engine castings, wheels, radiators and increasingly as body parts. 6111 aluminium and 2008 aluminium alloy are extensively used for external automotive body panels. Cylinder blocks and crankcases are often cast made of aluminium alloys.

Beryllium and Aluminium – Comparison in Table

Element	Beryllium	Aluminium
Density	1.848 g/cm3	2.7/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	345 MPa	90 MPa (pure), 600 MPa (alloys)
Yield Strength	N/A	11 MPa (pure), 400 MPa (alloys)
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	287 GPa	70 GPa
Mohs Scale	5.5	2.8
Brinell Hardness	600 MPa	240 MPa
Vickers Hardness	1670 MPa	167 MPa
Melting Point	1278 °C	660 °C
Boiling Point	2469 °C	2467 °C
Thermal Conductivity	200 W/mK	237 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	11.3 µm/mK	23.1 µm/mK
Specific Heat	1.82 J/g K	0.9 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol	10.79 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292.4 kJ/mol	293.4 kJ/mol

Beryllium and Chlorine – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of beryllium and chlorine, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Beryllium vs Chlorine.

beryllium and chlorine - comparison

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Beryllium and Chlorine – About Elements

Beryllium

Chlorine

Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature. It is an extremely reactive element and a strong oxidising agent: among the elements, it has the highest electron affinity and the third-highest electronegativity, behind only oxygen and fluorine.

Beryllium in Periodic Table

Chlorine in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Beryllium and Chlorine – Applications

Beryllium

Chlorine

Chlorine is used in the manufacture of a wide range of consumer products, about two-thirds of them organic chemicals such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), many intermediates for the production of plastics, and other end products which do not contain the element. As a common disinfectant, elemental chlorine and chlorine-generating compounds are used more directly in swimming pools to keep them sanitary. While perhaps best known for its role in providing clean drinking water, chlorine chemistry also helps provide energy-efficient building materials, electronics, fiber optics, solar energy cells, 93 percent of life-saving pharmaceuticals, 86 percent of crop protection compounds, medical plastics, and much more.

Beryllium and Chlorine – Comparison in Table

Element	Beryllium	Chlorine
Density	1.848 g/cm3	0.0032/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	345 MPa	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	287 GPa	N/A
Mohs Scale	5.5	N/A
Brinell Hardness	600 MPa	N/A
Vickers Hardness	1670 MPa	N/A
Melting Point	1278 °C	-101 °C
Boiling Point	2469 °C	-34.6 °C
Thermal Conductivity	200 W/mK	0.0089 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	11.3 µm/mK	— µm/mK
Specific Heat	1.82 J/g K	0.48 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol	3.23 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292.4 kJ/mol	10.2 kJ/mol

Beryllium and Copper – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of beryllium and copper, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Beryllium vs Copper.

beryllium and copper - comparison

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Beryllium and Copper – About Elements

Beryllium

Copper

Copper is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a reddish-orange color. Copper is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material, and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as sterling silver used in jewelry, cupronickel used to make marine hardware and coins, and constantan used in strain gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.

Beryllium in Periodic Table

Copper in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Beryllium and Copper – Applications

Beryllium

Copper

Historically, alloying copper with another metal, for example tin to make bronze, was first practiced about 4000 years after the discovery of copper smelting, and about 2000 years after “natural bronze” had come into general use. An ancient civilization is defined to be in the Bronze Age either by producing bronze by smelting its own copper and alloying with tin, arsenic, or other metals. The major applications of copper are electrical wire (60%), roofing and plumbing (20%), and industrial machinery (15%). Copper is used mostly as a pure metal, but when greater hardness is required, it is put into such alloys as brass and bronze (5% of total use). Copper and copper-based alloys including brasses (Cu-Zn) and bronzes (Cu-Sn) are widely used in different industrial and societal applications. Some of the common uses for brass alloys include costume jewelry, locks, hinges, gears, bearings, ammunition casings, automotive radiators, musical instruments, electronic packaging, and coins. Bronze, or bronze-like alloys and mixtures, were used for coins over a longer period. is still widely used today for springs, bearings, bushings, automobile transmission pilot bearings, and similar fittings, and is particularly common in the bearings of small electric motors. Brass and bronze are common engineering materials in modern architecture and primarily used for roofing and facade cladding due to their visual appearance.

Beryllium and Copper – Comparison in Table

Element	Beryllium	Copper
Density	1.848 g/cm3	8.92 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	345 MPa	210 MPa
Yield Strength	N/A	33 MPa
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	287 GPa	120 GPa
Mohs Scale	5.5	3
Brinell Hardness	600 MPa	250 MPa
Vickers Hardness	1670 MPa	350 MPa
Melting Point	1278 °C	1084.62 °C
Boiling Point	2469 °C	2562 °C
Thermal Conductivity	200 W/mK	401 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	11.3 µm/mK	16.5 µm/mK
Specific Heat	1.82 J/g K	0.38 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol	13.05 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292.4 kJ/mol	300.3 kJ/mol

Beryllium and Magnesium – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of beryllium and magnesium, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Beryllium vs Magnesium.

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Beryllium and Magnesium – About Elements

Beryllium

Magnesium

Magnesium is a shiny gray solid which bears a close physical resemblance to the other five elements in the second column (group 2, or alkaline earth metals) of the periodic table: all group 2 elements have the same electron configuration in the outer electron shell and a similar crystal structure.

Beryllium in Periodic Table

Magnesium in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Beryllium and Magnesium – Applications

Beryllium

Magnesium

Magnesium is the third-most-commonly-used structural metal, following iron and aluminium.[35] The main applications of magnesium are, in order: aluminium alloys, die-casting (alloyed with zinc), removing sulfur in the production of iron and steel, and the production of titanium in the Kroll process. Magnesium alloys are used in a wide variety of structural and nonstructural applications. Structural applications include automotive, industrial, materials-handling, commercial, and aerospace equipment. Magnesium alloys are used for parts that operate at high speeds and thus must be light weight to minimize inertial forces. Commercial applications include hand-held tools, laptops, luggage, and ladders, automobiles (e.g., steering wheels and columns, seat frames, transmission cases). Magnox (alloy), whose name is an abbreviation for “magnesium non-oxidizing”, is 99% magnesium and 1% aluminum, and is used in the cladding of fuel rods in magnox nuclear power reactors.

Beryllium and Magnesium – Comparison in Table

Element	Beryllium	Magnesium
Density	1.848 g/cm3	1.738 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	345 MPa	200 MPa
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	287 GPa	45 GPa
Mohs Scale	5.5	2.5
Brinell Hardness	600 MPa	260 MPa
Vickers Hardness	1670 MPa	N/A
Melting Point	1278 °C	649 °C
Boiling Point	2469 °C	1090 °C
Thermal Conductivity	200 W/mK	156 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	11.3 µm/mK	24.8 µm/mK
Specific Heat	1.82 J/g K	1.02 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol	8.954 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292.4 kJ/mol	127.4 kJ/mol

Beryllium and Nitrogen – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of beryllium and nitrogen, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Beryllium vs Nitrogen.

beryllium and nitrogen - comparison

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Beryllium and Nitrogen- About Elements

Beryllium

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless unreactive gas that forms about 78% of the earth’s atmosphere. Liquid nitrogen (made by distilling liquid air) boils at 77.4 kelvins (−195.8°C) and is used as a coolant.

Beryllium in Periodic Table

Nitrogen in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Beryllium and Nitrogen – Applications

Beryllium

Nitrogen

Nitrogen in various chemical forms plays a major role in large number of environmental issues. The applications of nitrogen compounds are naturally extremely widely varied due to the huge size of this class: hence, only applications of pure nitrogen itself will be considered here. Two-thirds of nitrogen produced by industry is sold as the gas and the remaining one-third as the liquid. In metallurgy, nitriding is a case hardening process in which the surface nitrogen concentration of a ferrous is increased by diffusion from the surrounding environment to create case-hardened surface. Nitriding produces hard, highly wear-resistant surface (shallow case depths) of product with fair capacity for contact load, good bending fatigue strength and excellent resistance to seizure. Synthetically produced ammonia and nitrates are key industrial fertilisers, and fertiliser nitrates are key pollutants in the eutrophication of water systems. Apart from its use in fertilisers and energy-stores, nitrogen is a constituent of organic compounds as diverse as Kevlar used in high-strength fabric and cyanoacrylate used in superglue.

Beryllium and Nitrogen – Comparison in Table

Element	Beryllium	Nitrogen
Density	1.848 g/cm3	0.00125 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	345 MPa	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	287 GPa	N/A
Mohs Scale	5.5	N/A
Brinell Hardness	600 MPa	N/A
Vickers Hardness	1670 MPa	N/A
Melting Point	1278 °C	-209.9 °C
Boiling Point	2469 °C	-195.8 °C
Thermal Conductivity	200 W/mK	0.02598 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	11.3 µm/mK	— µm/mK
Specific Heat	1.82 J/g K	1.04 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol	(N2) 0.7204 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292.4 kJ/mol	(N2) 5.56 kJ/mol

Beryllium and Oxygen – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of beryllium and oxygen, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Beryllium vs Oxygen.

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Beryllium and Oxygen- About Elements

Beryllium

Oxygen

Beryllium in Periodic Table

Oxygen in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Beryllium and Oxygen – Applications

Beryllium

Oxygen

Beryllium and Oxygen – Comparison in Table

Element	Beryllium	Oxygen
Density	1.848 g/cm3	0.00143 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	345 MPa	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	287 GPa	N/A
Mohs Scale	5.5	N/A
Brinell Hardness	600 MPa	N/A
Vickers Hardness	1670 MPa	N/A
Melting Point	1278 °C	-218.4 °C
Boiling Point	2469 °C	-183 °C
Thermal Conductivity	200 W/mK	0.02674 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	11.3 µm/mK	— µm/mK
Specific Heat	1.82 J/g K	0.92 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	12.2 kJ/mol	(O2) 0.444 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	292.4 kJ/mol	(O2) 6.82 kJ/mol

Lithium and Sulfur – Comparison – Properties

2022-04-242020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of lithium and sulfur, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Lithium vs Sulfur.

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Lithium and Sulfur – About Elements

Lithium

It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable, and is stored in mineral oil.

Sulfur

Sulfur is abundant, multivalent, and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow crystalline solid at room temperature. Chemically, sulfur reacts with all elements except for gold, platinum, iridium, tellurium, and the noble gases.

Lithium in Periodic Table

Sulfur in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Lithium and Sulfur – Applications

Lithium

Lithium has many applications, from lubricating grease, alloying additions in particular for aluminium and magnesium alloys, to glazes for ceramics, and finally, lithium batteries. In particular, lithium is and will continue to play an increasingly important role in the battery-powered clean air future. Lithium batteries are widely used in portable consumer electronic devices, and in electric vehicles ranging from full sized vehicles to radio controlled toys. The term “lithium battery” refers to a family of different lithium-metal chemistries, comprising many types of cathodes and electrolytes but all with metallic lithium as the anode.

Sulfur

The greatest commercial use of the element is the production of sulfuric acid for sulfate and phosphate fertilizers, and other chemical processes. Sulfur is increasingly used as a component of fertilizers. The most important form of sulfur for fertilizer is the mineral calcium sulfate. The element sulfur is used in matches, insecticides, and fungicides. Many sulfur compounds are odoriferous, and the smells of odorized natural gas, skunk scent, grapefruit, and garlic are due to organosulfur compounds.

Lithium and Sulfur – Comparison in Table

Element	Lithium	Sulfur
Density	0.535 g/cm3	1.96 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	1.5 MPa	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	4.9 GPa	N/A
Mohs Scale	0.6	2
Brinell Hardness	5 MPa	N/A
Vickers Hardness	N/A	N/A
Melting Point	180.5 °C	112.8 °C
Boiling Point	1342 °C	444.7 °C
Thermal Conductivity	85 W/mK	0.269 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	46 µm/mK	— µm/mK
Specific Heat	3.6 J/g K	0.71 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	3 kJ/mol	1.7175 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	145.92 kJ/mol	45 kJ/mol

Lithium and Sodium – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of lithium and sodium, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Lithium vs Sodium.

lithium and sodium - comparison

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Lithium and Sodium – About Elements

Lithium

Sodium

Sodium is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table, because it has a single electron in its outer shell that it readily donates, creating a positively charged atom—the Na+ cation.

Lithium in Periodic Table

Sodium in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Lithium and Sodium – Applications

Lithium

Sodium

Metallic sodium is used mainly for the production of sodium borohydride, sodium azide, indigo, and triphenylphosphine. A once-common use was the making of tetraethyllead and titanium metal; because of the move away from TEL and new titanium production methods. An electric current and sodium vapor combine to form a yellowish glow. This principle is used for the making of sodium vapor lamps. Sodium is occasionally used as a heat exchange medium in nuclear power plants. Liquid sodium is sealed into pipes surrounding the reactor core. Generated heat is absorbed by sodium and forced through the pipes in a heat exchanger which can be used to generate electricity.

Lithium and Sodium – Comparison in Table

Element	Lithium	Sodium
Density	0.535 g/cm3	0.968 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	1.5 MPa	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	4.9 GPa	10 GPa
Mohs Scale	0.6	0.4
Brinell Hardness	5 MPa	0.69 MPa
Vickers Hardness	N/A	N/A
Melting Point	180.5 °C	97.8 °C
Boiling Point	1342 °C	883 °C
Thermal Conductivity	85 W/mK	141 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	46 µm/mK	71 µm/mK
Specific Heat	3.6 J/g K	1.23 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	3 kJ/mol	2.59 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	145.92 kJ/mol	96.96 kJ/mol

Lithium and Potassium – Comparison – Properties

2020-12-03 by Nick Connor

This article contains comparison of key thermal and atomic properties of lithium and potassium, two comparable chemical elements from the periodic table. It also contains basic descriptions and applications of both elements. Lithium vs Potassium.

lithium and potassium - comparison

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Lithium and Potassium – About Elements

Lithium

Potassium

Potassium was first isolated from potash, the ashes of plants, from which its name derives. In the periodic table, potassium is one of the alkali metals. All of the alkali metals have a single valence electron in the outer electron shell, which is easily removed to create an ion with a positive charge – a cation, which combines with anions to form salts. Naturally occurring potassium is composed of three isotopes, of which 40K is radioactive. Traces of 40K are found in all potassium, and it is the most common radioisotope in the human body.

Lithium in Periodic Table

Potassium in Periodic Table

Source: www.luciteria.com

Lithium and Potassium – Applications

Lithium

Potassium

Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient for plant growth. It’s classified as a macronutrient because plants take up large quantities of K during their life cycle. Agricultural fertilizers consume 95% of global potassium chemical production, and about 90% of this potassium is supplied as KCl. Due to its high degree of reactivity, pure potassium is rarely used in its elemental /metallic form. It is used as a powerful reducing agent in organic chemistry. Potassium/Sodium alloys are It used as a heat exchange medium . The heat in the potassium warms water and makes it hot enough to boil. Then water is changed into steam, which is used to work devices that generate electricity.

Lithium and Potassium – Comparison in Table

Element	Lithium	Potassium
Density	0.535 g/cm3	0.856 g/cm3
Ultimate Tensile Strength	1.5 MPa	N/A
Yield Strength	N/A	N/A
Young’s Modulus of Elasticity	4.9 GPa	3.53 GPa
Mohs Scale	0.6	0.4
Brinell Hardness	5 MPa	0.36 MPa
Vickers Hardness	N/A	N/A
Melting Point	180.5 °C	63.25 °C
Boiling Point	1342 °C	760 °C
Thermal Conductivity	85 W/mK	102.4 W/mK
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	46 µm/mK	83 µm/mK
Specific Heat	3.6 J/g K	0.75 J/g K
Heat of Fusion	3 kJ/mol	2.334 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization	145.92 kJ/mol	79.87 kJ/mol