Manufacturers use silicon, a metalloid, to produce many electronic devices.
Metalloids are a group of elements that bridge gaps between metals and nonmetals. This means they share properties of metals and nonmetals. While metalloids typically behave as nonmetals physically and chemically, they conduct electricity similar to metals. Not all metalloids behave in the same way, but their position between metals and nonmetals allows scientists to use them for many different applications.
Boron
Chemists use boron to create sodium perborate, which has uses in bleach, detergent and other cleaning agents. Borosilicate glass, a mixture primarily composed of boron and silicon, effective good insulation properties, making it useful for cookware; Pyrex glassware is a famous example of borosilicate glass. Nuclear reactors sometimes have boron shielding to control the fission reaction.
Silicon
Silicon has multiple uses for humans. Silicon is a semiconductor, which means it conducts electricity but to a lesser degree than metals. Silicon's controlled electrical flow enables manufacturers to use it for electronics applications, such as in computers and radios. Silicon also forms the base of silicone, a type of plastic that manufacturers use for various functions: plastic, ceramics, glass.
Arsenic
Arsenic is highly toxic to most organisms, and so it has wide application as a pesticide, although concerns about human exposure have limited its use. People apply arsenic to preserve wood from bacteria and fungi. Arsenic also has some medical applications as a form of targeted therapy against some cancers. Arsenic also alloys with lead, and manufacturers may add small amounts of arsenic to strengthen lead in products such as batteries and bullets.
Germanium
Manufacturers use germanium, like silicon, for its semiconductor properties. According to the United States Geological Survey, germanium was widely used for transistors, radios and other electronics from the 1950s on, until pure silicon, which has a higher melting point than germanium, became more widely available in the 1970s.
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