In the year 1787, French chemist Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier formed a theory that silica, the main component of sand, was merely an oxide of a new element that had not yet been discovered, however, he was unsuccessful in isolating this theorized element.
A British chemist named Sir Humphry Davy attempted to isolate this element 21 years later and even gave it the proposed name silicium, but Davy was also unsuccessful in isolating this stubborn element.
Finally, in the year 1823, a chemist by the name of Berzelius became the first to isolate an amorphous powder of this element. Chemist Thomas Thomson named the new element 8 years later by combining silic- from silica and rather than giving it the -ium suffix that was given to metals, Thomson used the -on suffix because the element was more similar to nonmetals such as boron and carbon, making the element silicon.
Properties of Silicon
Interestingly, silicon is one of the few elements whose properties are similar to metals and also similar to nonmetals, which we call metalloids. Like a metal, silicon has a metallic luster, but unlike most metals, silicon is brittle and a poor electrical conductor at low temperatures.
Because most types of sand, clay, and rock contain significant amounts of silicon, silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.
Uses of Silicon
Due to its semi-conductive nature, silicon is used extensively in electronics. Silicon is the key material in many electronic components such as transistors, processors, memory chips, and most circuit boards.
Silicon is used in construction, so much so that you are currently surrounded by silicon-containing materials. Concrete contains silica, glass is primarily composed of silicon dioxide, and silicon is sometimes added to aluminum and steel to increase their strength.
Silicone rubbers and oils are used in many applications today. Silicone is merely a type of polymer that is made of chains of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms, meaning silicone is technically a sand-based plastic.
Silicon is vital in the human body, which helps form strong connective tissues, bones, skin, hair, collagen, and elastin. Silicon can help your body heal wounds and it is even theorized to prevent aluminum toxicity.
Dangers of Silicon Chemistry
Because silicon typically forms extremely insoluble compounds, such as silicon dioxide, working with silicon chemistry can be quite hazardous. Some silicon compounds can immediately become insoluble sand on contact with water, including the water in your body. If you come into contact with these compounds, they could cause irreversible damage and even blindness.
When burned, silicon reacts with oxygen in the air to form microscopic silicon dioxide particles (sand), which are sharp and could lead to lung damage or cancer if inhaled, in the same way that asbestos can.
For these reasons, I did not attempt to produce any silicon compounds to feature in this post. With that being said, having a small sample of silicon is reasonably safe, as long as you don’t attempt to synthesize any silicon compounds.
What do you like most about silicon?
Onward American 