Silicon °C respectively are the second-highest among all the metalloids and nonmetals, being only surpassed by boron. Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure element in the Earth's crust. It is most widely distributed in dusts, sands, planetoids, and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates. More than 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust (about 28% by mass) after oxygen. Most silicon is used commercially without being separated, and often with
Tellurium hexafluoride Tellurium hexafluoride Tellurium hexafluoride is a chemical compound of tellurium and fluorine with the chemical formula TeF. It is a colorless, highly toxic gas with an extremely unpleasant smell. Tellurium hexafluoride is most commonly prepared by passing fluorine gas over tellurium at 150 °C. Below this temperature a mixture of lower fluorides form, including tellurium tetrafluoride and ditellurium decafluoride. It can also be prepared by passing fluorine gas over TeO or indirectly by reacting TeO with SeF to produce TeF and then heating TeF in excess of 200 °C to make TeF and Te. Tellurium hexafluoride is a highly symmetric