how is it produced?
It is obtained as a by-product of smelting of copper, zinc, and lead ores.
Thallium
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the annual worldwide production of thallium is about 10 metric tonnes as a by-product from the smelting of copper, zinc, and lead ores
what is thallium? A chemical element. what are its characteristics? A thallium atom has 81 electrons arranged in the configuration [Xe]4f5d6s6p. It is malleable and sectile enough o be cut with a knife at room temperature. It has a metallic luster. how many isotopes does it have? 41.
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Thallium [SEP] Occurrence and production
The thallium is leached either by the use of a base or sulfuric acid from the material. The thallium is precipitated several times from the solution to remove impurities. At the end it is converted to thallium sulfate and the thallium is extracted by electrolysis on platinum or stainless steel plates. The production of thallium decreased by about 33% in the period from 1995 to 2009 – from about 15 metric tonnes to about 10 tonnes. Since there are several small deposits or ores with relatively high thallium content, it would be possible to increase the production if a new application, such as a hypothetical thallium-containing high-temperature superconductor, becomes practical for widespread use outside of the laboratory.