Selenium, Se (34)
Selenium is found in copper ore bodies, and is extracted during the copper refining process. Selenium has various applications, either in its elemental form or as a compound or derivative. The more common uses of selenium are as a glass decolourant, an animal feed micro-nutrient additive, an optimizer in the refining of electrolytic manganese (EMM), and as a pigment in paints, plastics, and ceramics. Other uses include lead alloys (as a grain refiner in lead-acid battery grids), in copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) alloys for solar panels, in pharmaceutical products, and in special optical lenses.
Selenium metal is typically available as a powder, as sticks, ingots, or shot (also referred to granules or pellets) with purities ranging from 98% to 99.999%.