Natural Abundance

o   Where is Tellurium found? -  Typically, you would find tellurium in ores, as it is often found in a compound with another metal. [sylvanite (AgAuTe₄), calaverite (AuTe₂) and krennerite (AuTe₂) ] Tellurium is seldom found pure. Commercially, however, companies get Tellurium from anode muds made during the electrolytic refining of copper.

o   Natural abundance: 0.02 parts per million in earth’s crust

o   How Tellurium is obtained (commercially): Tellurium is a byproduct of refining of copper (by electrolysis) in anode muds.

§   Method: Impure copper is dissolved at the anodes by electrolysis, which purifies it, and the new pure copper moves to the cathode. Impurities dissolve and slide to bottom of cells. In this slime of impurities is tellurium, which is then further refined (STDA.net).

§   Product: 500 tons of copper ore makes about one pound of tellurium.

o   How Tellurium is obtained (from principal minerals): Nitric acid is added to tellurium to produce tellourous acid, H₂TeO₃. Then, this substance is treated with sulfur dioxide to extract pure tellurium. H₂TeO_{3 (s)} + 2SO_{2 (g)} --> Te _(s) + 2H₂SO_{4 (l)}

o   Main Producers: US, Canada, Peru, and Japan are largest Free World producers of tellurium.