Germanium oxide
Properties
Chemical formula: GeO₂
Name: Germanium oxide / germanium(IV) oxide
CAS No.: 1310-53-8
Molar mass: 104.64 g/mol
Density: 4.23 g/cm³ (hexagonal), 6.24 g/cm³ (tetragonal)
Melting point: approx. 1115 °C (hexagonal form)
Color: white
Form: fine powder
Main modifications: hexagonal, tetragonal and amorphous
Germanium oxide (GeO₂) is one of the most important inorganic compounds of the semiconductor element germanium. It is supplied as a fine, odorless white powder and occurs in several crystalline modifications as well as in an amorphous, glass-like phase.
Germanium oxide mainly occurs in hexagonal and tetragonal crystalline forms. The hexagonal modification has a quartz-like structure and is moderately soluble in hot water, producing a weakly acidic solution. The denser tetragonal rutile-type form is practically insoluble in water and acids.
One of the most important properties of germanium oxide is its high refractive index. As a dopant in silica glass, GeO₂ allows precise adjustment of the refractive-index profile and therefore plays an important role in modern optical fiber technology.
Germanium oxide also offers favorable optical properties in the infrared spectral range. Both amorphous and crystalline forms are used in specialty glasses and other materials intended for infrared optical applications.
In polymer chemistry, germanium oxide serves as an efficient transesterification and polycondensation catalyst. Its high catalytic selectivity makes it suitable for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production, particularly where high purity and minimal unwanted discoloration are required.
Germanium oxide is also an important intermediate in the industrial production of high-purity elemental germanium. It is mainly manufactured by hydrolysis of germanium tetrachloride, GeCl₄, with high-purity water followed by drying and calcination.
Germanium and its compounds are especially important in fiber optics, infrared materials, PET production and high-purity germanium manufacturing. Would you like to buy germanium oxide? Auremo can provide information about available purity grades and delivery conditions. The germanium price, germanium metal price and germanium price per kg primarily refer to metallic germanium, while the germanium oxide price depends on purity, quantity and material specifications.
Advantages
• Increases the refractive index of silica glass
• Enables precise refractive-index profiling in optical fibers
• High chemical purity up to 99.9999% for suitable grades
• Very good optical properties in the infrared range
• High catalytic selectivity
• Suitable for PET production with minimal unwanted discoloration
• Important intermediate for high-purity germanium production
• Suitable for sensitive electronic and optical processes
Applications
• Fiber optics and optical waveguides
• Doping of silica fiber cores
• Telecommunication optical fibers
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production
• Polycondensation and transesterification catalyst
• Infrared optics
• Specialty and chalcogenide glasses
• Wide-angle optical systems
• Production of high-purity germanium metal
• Semiconductor materials
• Detector and electronic technologies
Auremo offers germanium oxide and other high-purity specialty materials for industrial and advanced technical applications. If you have any questions about GeO₂, available purity grades, product forms or delivery conditions, please contact us directly.
