Selenium
Also known as Elemental selenium, Selenium elemental, Selenium, elemental
Key facts
What buyers check first
- Appearance
- Selenium exists in several allotropic forms. 3 are generally recognized Selenium can be…
- Melting point
- 220.8 °C
- Boiling point
- 685 °C
- Density
- 4.39 g/cm³ (alpha form), 4.809 g/cm³ (gray selenium), 4.28 g/cm³ (vitreous selenium)
- Solubility
- Insoluble in water and alcohol
- HS code
- 280490
- Category
- Sulfates and sulfur salts
- UN number
- UN 3283
What is Selenium?
Plain description, key identifiers and synonyms
Selenium atom is a nonmetal atom and a chalcogen. It has a role as a micronutrient.
Selenium is a chemical element with symbol Se and atomic number 34.
Identifiers
Registry numbers, names and line notations, tap to copy
- IUPAC name
- selenium
- CAS number
- 7782-49-2 CAS number cross-checkedOther or deprecated CAS: 7783-07-5
- EC numbers
- 231-957-4, 231-978-9
- Molecular formula
- Se
- UNII
- H6241UJ22B, V91P54KPAM
- MDL number
- MFCD00011224, MFCD00134090
- InChIKey
- BUGBHKTXTAQXES-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- InChI
- InChI=1S/Se
- SMILES (canonical and isomeric)
- [Se]
Synonyms
- Elemental selenium
- Selenium elemental
- Selenium, elemental
- Vandex
- Selen
- Gray selenium
- Selenium base
- Selenium dust
- Colloidal selenium
- Selenium metallicum
- SE
- CI 77805
- C.I. 77805
- b-Traxim se
- Selsaf 2000
- Selenium 80
- selandiylium
- Hoarse Cough
- Dietary Selenium
- Bestmade Natural Products Selenium
- Selanediide
- Selenide(2-)
- Selenium-80
- Selenium atom
- Selenium powder
Show all 36 synonymsShow fewer synonyms
- Atomic Selenium
- Selenium element
- elenium, elemental, Vandex,
- Selenium, metallic
- Selenium, colloidal
- selenio
- Selenium Standard: Se @ 10 microg/mL in 2% HNO3
- Selenium Standard: Se @ 1000 microg/mL in 5% HNO3
- Selenium Standard: Se @ 10000 microg/mL in 5% HNO3
- Selenium AA Standard: Se @ 1000 microg/mL in 5% HNO3
- Selenium Standard: Se @ 1000 microg/g in Hydrocarbon Oil
Physical and chemical properties
Measured values and descriptors computed from the structure
Physical and chemical properties
Measured values, check the supplier specification for your grade
| Appearance | Selenium exists in several allotropic forms. 3 are generally recognized Selenium can be prepd with either amorphous orexp.Measured value |
|---|---|
| Melting point | 220.8 °Cexp.Measured value |
| Boiling point | 685 °Cexp.Measured value |
| Density | 4.39 g/cm³ (alpha form), 4.809 g/cm³ (gray selenium), 4.28 g/cm³ (vitreous selenium)exp.Measured value |
| Solubility | Insoluble in water and alcoholexp.Measured value |
| Vapour pressure | 1 Pa at 227 °C, 10 Pa at 279 °C, 100 Pa at 344 °C, 1 kPa at 431 °C, 10 kPa at 540 °C, 100 kPa at 685 °Cexp.Measured value |
Values vary by grade. Ask suppliers for the COA or TDS of the batch you buy.
Computed descriptors
Calculated from the structure, useful for screening and formulation
| Molecular weight | 78.96 g/molcalc.Computed value |
|---|---|
| Exact mass | 79.9165 Dacalc.Computed value |
| LogP (octanol/water) | -0.38calc.Computed value |
| Topological polar surface area | 0 Ųcalc.Computed value |
| Hydrogen bond donors | 0calc.Computed value |
| Hydrogen bond acceptors | 0calc.Computed value |
| Rotatable bonds | 0calc.Computed value |
| Heavy atoms | 1calc.Computed value |
| Rings | 0calc.Computed value |
| Aromatic rings | 0calc.Computed value |
| Fraction sp3 carbons | 0calc.Computed value |
| Formal charge | 0calc.Computed value |
| Stereocentres | 0calc.Computed value |
Calculated for screening. Confirm critical figures with the supplier.
Safety and hazards
GHS classification summary, not a safety data sheet
Hazard statements
- H301Toxic if swallowed.
- H331Toxic if inhaled.
- H373May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
- H413May cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic life.
Precautionary statements (15)
- P260Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P261Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P264Wash skin thoroughly after handling.
- P270Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- P271Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- P273Avoid release to the environment.
- P301 + P316If swallowed: Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P304 + P340If inhaled: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
- P316Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P319Get medical help if you feel unwell.
- P321Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instructions on the label).
- P330Rinse mouth.
- P403 + P233Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.
- P405Store locked up.
- P501Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local regulations.
- UN number
- UN 3283
GHS classification summary, not a safety data sheet (SDS). Classifications can differ by supplier, grade and concentration. Always check the supplier's SDS.
Full safety data and first aidSelenium suppliers
Sponsored listings first, then the documented ranking: membership, verification, replies, completeness, freshness and ratings
- India, Navi MumbaiUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- United Kingdom ManufacturerUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- China, NanjingUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- ChinaUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- France, Paris ManufacturerUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- China, China ManufacturerUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- Spain, ValenciaUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- Netherlands, DordrechtUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
- Netherlands, Numansdorp ManufacturerUnclaimed profileSeleniumGrade, purity and minimum order on requestPrice on request
Suppliers marked Unclaimed profile have not claimed their profile yet. They are not verified by CompoundList, their offers are price on request and details may have changed, so please confirm them with the supplier. Company representatives can claim a profile with a business email on the company's own website domain. Our team verifies each claim and sends the result by email.
Where suppliers are based
132 suppliers in 31 countries
- India25
- United States25
- China13
- Germany8
- United Kingdom8
- Spain5
- and 25 more countries
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Selenium price
Indicative price range per kg from live supplier offers
Suppliers quote this chemical on request. Send one free request and compare quotes side by side.
Uses and applications
What the substance is used for, by industry and function
As ingredient of toning baths in photography, as pigment in mfr of ruby-, pink-, orange-, or red-colored glass, as metallic base in making electrodes for arc lights, electrical instruments and apparatus, as rectifier in radio and television sets, in selenium photocells, in semiconductor fusion mixtures, selenium cells, telephotographic apparatus, as vulcanizing agent in processing of rubber, as catalyst in determination of nitrogen by Kjeldahl method, for dehydrogenation of organic compounds.
In glass manufacturing, selenium is used to decolorize the green tint caused by iron impurities in container glass and other soda-lime silica glass and is used in architectural plate glass to reduce solar heat transmission. ...
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Selenium is used in catalysts to enhance selective oxidation, in plating solutions, where it improves appearance and durability, in blasting caps and gun bluing, in rubber compounding chemicals, in the electrolytic production of manganese to increase yields, and in brass alloys to improve machinability.
Dietary supplement for livestock and as a fertilizer additive to enrich selenium-poor soils. It is used as a metallurgical additive to improve machinability of copper, lead, and steel alloys. ...
Industries and functions
Pharmacological actions
- Antioxidants
- Trace Elements
Roles
- anti-HIV agent
- anti-inflammatory agent
- antibacterial agent
- antibacterial drug
- antiinfective agent
- antimicrobial agent
- antimicrobial drug
- antimycobacterial drug
- antineoplastic agent
- antiparasitic agent
- antiprotozoal drug
- antitubercular agent
- antiviral agent
- food component
- micronutrient
- nutrient
- pharmaceutical
- physiological role
- trypanocidal drug
- vulnerary
Functional uses
- Flavouring and nutrient
Pharmacology
Selenium is a nonmetallic chemical element found in trace amounts in human body. Selenium primarily occurs in vivo as selenocompounds, mostly selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase (enzymes responsible for detoxification). Alone or in combination with Vitamin E, selenocompounds act as antioxidants. These agents scavenge free radicals, prevent blood clots by inhibiting platelet aggregation, strengthen the immune system, and have been shown, in some instances, to inhibit chromosomal damage and mutations. Exhibiting chemopreventive activity, selenocompounds also inhibit the induction of protein kinase C.
How it is made
Electrolytic copper refinery slimes are the principal source of selenium and its sister element, tellurium ... Slimes generated by the refining of primary copper, copper produced from ores and concentrates, generally contain from 5-25% selenium and 2-10% tellurium. ... Some of the first processes to recover selenium on a commercial basis were based on roasting of copper slimes with soda ash to convert both selenium and tellurium to the +6 oxidation state. ... Slimes are intensively mixed with sodium carbonate, a binder such as bentonite, and water to form a stiff paste.
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The paste is extruded or pelletized and allowed to dry. ... Roasting occurs between temperatures of 530-650 °C. ... Conversion of both elements to the hexavalent form is complete. The roasted pellets or extrudes are ground and leached in water. The hexavalent selenium dissolves as sodium selenate, Na2SeO4. Sodium tellurate, being highly insoluble in the now very strongly alkaline solution, remains in the residue. The separation between selenium and tellurium is readily achieved, provided all tellurium is oxidized to the hexavalent state. ... There are two processes commonly employed for reducing selenium from solution. ... In the first process, employed commercially for may years, selenium is leached from the slimes in the form of the hexavalent sodium selenate. It is recovered from solution by crystallization and the crystalline sodium selenate is mixed with charcoal.
Regulatory status
Inventories, regulations and trade controls that list this substance
Europe
- EU harmonised classification (CLP Annex VI)Index no: 034-001-00-2
Health and food
- EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex II, prohibited in cosmeticsName: Selenium and its compounds with the exception of selenium disulphide under the conditions set out under reference No 49 in Annex III, Ref no: 297, Annex…
- Active ingredient in FDA approved drug labels
United States
- TSCA inventory (USA)Status: Active in US commerce
HS code and trade data
Customs classification and reported world trade statistics
Global trade
World import and export statistics for the HS code Selenium is traded under.
Selenium
- Japan16.9%
- Philippines14.2%
- Hong Kong13.9%
* Partner reported figures, a lower bound.
The HS code shown for Selenium is indicative (it was matched by name in the HS nomenclature). Confirm the classification with your customs broker before shipping.
Related chemicals
Parent and salt forms, stereoisomers, similar structures and isomers
Stereoisomers and isotopic forms
Same connectivity, different stereochemistry or isotopes (same InChIKey skeleton)
Similar structures
Nearest neighbours by Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto similarity
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Selenium, based on the data on this page
What is Selenium?
What is the CAS number of Selenium?
What is the molecular formula and weight of Selenium?
What is Selenium used for?
Is Selenium hazardous?
What is the HS code of Selenium?
Where can I buy Selenium?
Where can I buy Selenium in India?
What is the price of Selenium?
Guides for buyers
Practical guides that help when you source, ship or handle Selenium
- Guide, SafetyHow to read a safety data sheet in 10 minutesA section by section method to pull the essentials out of any 16 section SDS: identity, hazards, composition, storage, PPE, properties, transport and emergency measures.Read
- Guide, Trade and logisticsShipping dangerous goods: UN numbers, classes and packing groupsHow the UN dangerous goods system works for chemicals, from the nine classes and UN numbers to packing groups, UN packaging marks, labels, documents and segregation.Read
- Guide, SafetyGHS pictograms, signal words and hazard statements explainedA practical guide to the nine GHS pictograms, the signal words Danger and Warning, H and P statements, and how to read a chemical label in seconds.Read
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