Skip to content
Skip to link menu

Ideas for icons

H

desulfuring oil (remove S from oil)

synthesis of ammonium

cryogenic, luminous paints (Tritium)

He

Zeppelins, Balloons

Cooling, for example nuclear power plants - Refrigerant used in cooling

for scuba-diving, arc-welding

Li

Addition to oil for motors etc

high quality glass (laboratory-tools)

used in Batteries

desiccant (hydroxide), in mobile phones (see Ta), air cleaning in spacecrafts (reacts with CO₂ to O₂), in red firework

Be

The small parts in clocks and watches

High quality tools (where there must never be sparks) - manufacture of light corrosion-resistant alloys

Windows of xray-tubes

B

Moderator in nuclear power plants - retards neutrons

- Tennis rackets

High-temerature glass

green firework, washing powder, fishing rods, wood protection

C

Diamonts - Diamonds

Moderator in nuclear power plants

a fern, fullerene (soccer ball), a chimney sweep. Activated charcoal to absorb toxins and poisons in medicine, ¹⁴C for organic matter dating in archeology

N

synthesis of ammonium

Fertiliser - Fertilizer

explosives, beer dispensers, laughing gas

O

Steel production

an oxygen mask. Used for welding, oxydation.

F

Uran-235 synthesis (UF₆ is used)

a fridge. Used for cooling in fridges and air-conditioning.

Ne

Na

Steetlamps (the yellow on, for example in BeNeLux)

Cooling in nuclear power plants

common salt, Soda, glass

soap. Desiccant in water-free solvants.

Mg

Underwater fire

anti-slipping powder on hands (talc used in gymnastics, climbing)

used in muscle conductivity (against cramps in the legs for example), extensively used for its laxative proprieties.

Al

Main metallic compound in the following gemstones: topaz, corundum (ruby and sapphire), chrysoberyl, spinel, turquoise.

Si

Electrical circuts

Glass (Glass is SiO₂)

Sand (sand is also SiO₂)

computer chip, concrete, bricks, solar cells.

Pottery, enamel. Main compound (other than H and O) in the following gemstones: quartz, opal, beryl (aquamarine, emerald, heliodor).

P

Fertelizer -Fertiliser

desiccant, In bones and proteins.

S

Rubber-production

Hair-tightener (if you want to have curly hair)

rotten eggs (H₂S is the stuff which smells so strongly)

car battery, car tyres (vulcanized rubber).

Fungicide, fumigant, conservative for dried fruits and wine

Cl

Water purification (swimmingpool)

PVC (plasitc, poly vinyle chlorine)

Ar

Geiger-counter (for radioactivity)

Protective gas (i18n("Schutzgasschweißen"))

K

Fertalizer -Fertiliser

optical glass (glasses)

Ca

Many metals need it in production

Cable insulation

Fertalizer - Fertiliser

Stalactites and stalagmites in caves.

Cement, mortar, concrete. Plaster to fix broken bones.

Sc (scandium)

in alloys used for bycicle-frames and lacrosse sticks. High intensity lights (added to mercury-vapor lamps)

Ti (titanium)

frames for glasses, medical instruments, hip or knee prothesis, heat protection shield of spacecrafts

V (vanadium)

with chromium and iron alloy for tools (resists corrosion), magnets

Cr (chromium)

to harden steel in iron alloys (see above), leather tanning

yellow paints. Is part of jewels (emerald and ruby)

surface protection against corrosion

Mn (manganese)

various alloys, oxidation agent (permanganate). In amethyst. Important enzymes in eukaryotic (bacteria and animal) metabolism to prevent toxic effect of oxygen.

Fe (iron)

tools, cars, etc. Blood (a vampire?)

Co (cobalt)

blue paint, jet engine, radiotherapy against cancer, vitamine B12, food-irradiation

Ni (nickel)

small coins, in batteries, in many corrosion-resistant alloys

Cu (copper)

copper coloured coins, wires

Zn, Zinc

brass instruments, batteries, white paint

Ga

Silicate-thermometer

information saving (hdd and such)

localisation of tumors (cancer)

blue LED's, neutrino detection, replaces mercury in thermometers

Ge

Infrared prisma - infrared prism

transidor - Transistor

wide-angle objectives (photographie) - photography

in night-vision glasses, thermographic cameras, semiconductor

As

shotgun-bullets (in 'lead shots')

The topmost mirror-surface (a mirror would be a good symbol)

pyrotechnics and firework, wafer-coating

Se

Anti-dandruff shampoo

Br

Film (photo film)

anti-germ stuff (in hospitals and so on) - disinfectant

is not used anymore as a disinfectant because of its toxicity. It has been totally replaced by organic Iodine compounds.

Kr

fluorescent tube

Flash-bulbs (for photos and such)

Wavelength standard

Superman, as many kids can associate it to "kriptonite" :-)

Rb

Fotocells (solar pannel) - Photocells

Heartmuscle-science

Vakuum-gastrap - Vacuum

atomic clock in satelites

Sr

Nuclearbatteries

beta-rays are created with it

the red "phosphor" in CRT colour screens

Y (yttrium)

red colour in TV-tubes, microwaves (a microwave oven?)

Zr (zirconium)

"fake" diamonds, in nuclear reactors, bicycle-frames

Nb (niobium)

antiallergic jewellery, pacemaker, in particle accelerators (CERN)

Mo (molybdenum)

high temperature lubricant, in alloys for space- and aircraft parts, high-strength steel alloys, red and orange paints

Tc (technetium)

radioactive tracer in medical test for various organs because of it's short half-life (6 hours)

Ru, Ruthenium

hardener for platinum, palladium and titan, Parker 51 fountain pen has a ruthenium-hardened nib.

Rh, Rhodium

used for electrodes, jewellery (protects gold and platinum against corrosion), car catalytic converters, catalyst in many chemical reactions

Pd, Palladium

jewellery, crowns in dentistry, in watches

surgical instruments, to make white gold, in car catalytic converters (replaces the more expensive platinum)

Ag, Silver

jewellery, mirror, money

Cd, Cadmium

nuclear fission barrier, in batteries

In

Fotocells (CCD) - Photocell

Blood- and lung science

Sn

Emaille (that is that old porcelain-like stuff)

pewter plates or other tableware, tin cans, solder (solded circuits?)

Sb

infrared detectors

anti-germ medicine (like peniciline)

solder, red matches, fire-protection

regarding the "anti-germ" use: actually it has no use against bacterias but as an anti-parasitic drug, mainly against shistosoma, a flatworm parasite and leishmania, a flagelate worm.

Te

For vulcanisation of rubber

electrical resistors

optical fiber (as chalcogenic glass), has higher refractions than SiO₂

I (Iodine)

Desinfection (medicine) - Disinfectant

Addition to common salt (for cooking)

seaweed (smell)

Xe (Xenon)

Projectors (those used in classrooms for example)

Car lights, film projectors, stroboscopes, anaesthesia

Cs

Ba

Flourencencelamps

X-ray diagnosis of the gastro-intestinal tube, green firework

benitoite gem stone (blue), high-refraction glass

La (lanthanum)

flintstone in lighters (mischmetal), in NiMeH batteries

Ce (cerium)

in mischmetal together with lanthanum or as ferrocerium (flintstone), catalyst in "self-cleaning" oven alloys, glass polishing

Pr (praseodymium

in mischmetal as flintstone, carbon arc lights

Nd (neodymium)

strong magnets in microphones, loudspeakers, harddisks, volcano eruption prediction, high energy lasers

Pr (promethium)

luminous paint. Gauges to mesure thickness and/ord filling levels.

Sm (samarium)

Carbon arc lights, neutron-absorber, quartz watches, harddisks, headphones

Eu (europium

red phosphor in fluorescent lamps and CRT monitors, in euro-banknotes as an anti-counterfeiting phosphor.

Gd (gadolinium)

in CD and RAM manufacturing. Organic compounds of Gd are injected during magnetic resonance imaging as a paramagnetic agent. Could replace F compounds in fridges and airconditioning.

Tb (terbium)

doping materials in solid-state devices, crystal stabilisator in high-temperature fuel cells

Dy (dysprosium)

CD manufacturing

Ho (holmium)

yellow glass colouring

Er (erbium

pink glass and enamel colouring

Tm (thulium)

in dosimeters for low-radiation detection

Yb (ytterbium)

Radiation source for portable X-ray devices, as a difluorite compound in high quality dentistry filings which allows a permanent fluoride protection.

Lu (lutetium)

szintigraphic crystal for PET-scanning

Hf (hafnium)

Flash lamps in photography, HfO₂ will replace SiO₂ in wafers (announcements made by IBM and Intel in January 2007)

Ta (tantalum)

High melting point alloys, surgical instruments, cranial repair plates, microelectronic devices (in mobilephones), on cameralenses

W (tungsten)

Darts (the game), electric lamp filament, electron tubes, high melting point alloys, kinetic energy penetrators (anti-tank ammunition), glass-to-metal seals, violin strings, jewellery, etc.

Re (rhenium)

car catalysts together with platinum, filaments in mass spectrography, fountain pen tips

Os (osmium)

very hard alloys, fountain pen tips, OsO₄ was used to take fingerprints before graphite, phonograph needles, pacemakers (platinum alloy)

Ir (iridium)

Sparkplugs, crucibles for high temperature use, polymer LED, the platinum-iridium alloy is used for standard weights

Pt (platinum)

jewellery, wire, bridges in dentistry, catalytic converters in cars, crucibles for glass melting

Au (gold)

A gold medal, a gold bar, a crown, etc.

Use: anti-oxidant thin-layer coating of many materials (good infra-red reflector for satelites, electric connectors), jewellery, decoration, in dentistry

Hg, mercury

a barometer, a thermometer, calomel electrode, switches

Builds alloys with nearly every other metal, in batteries. Cheap rotating parabolic mirrors.

Tl

Infrared-detector

Anti-insect-spray

Heartmuscle-science

rat-poison (old), photo cells, glass lenses in photocopy and fax machines

Pb

XRay-protection

Colours/Paintings

Batteries, ammunition, radiation shields, lead glass, ballast in ships, scubadiving waist belts

Bi

Catalyses something when producing rubber

Safety (electrical circut)

Stomach disinfection

fire detection devices. replaces lead in many ways because of its low toxicity

Po

nuclear batteries

Neutrons-source

Antistatic stuff

At (astatine)

No use as it is radioactive

For treatment of thyroid cancers as it can replace Iodine in the thyroid. Extremly rare on earth.

Rn

Earthquake prediction

In hydrology to examine ground water connection to streams and rivers

Fr

extremly rare, not handable in solid state as it develops far to much heat capacity.

Ra, Radium

Medical therapy with rays

self luminous paints, formerly used in watches to make indicators visible in the dark.

Ac (actinium)

far to radioactive (more than Plutonium)

Th (thorium)

on optic lenses to raise refraction index. For uranium233 production.

Pa (protactinium)

no application because of its rarity and radioactivity

U (uranium)

main use as fuel in nuclear power plants.Icon could be a cooling tower. High density penetrators for military use.

Np (neptunium

to produce plutonium in breeders.

Pu (plutonium)

batteries for spacecrafts (Cassini probe). Nuclear weapons.

Am (americium)

smoke detectors

Cm (curium)

alpha-source for the alpha-source X-ray-spectrometer (ASXS) used for chemical analysis on various Mars mission robots.

Bk (berkelium)

Cf (californium)

Eventually as a portable neutron source. Has been used to produce element no, 118: ununoctium

Author: Carsten Niehaus
Last update: 2008-01-11

Skip menu "Inform"

Skip menu "Science Applications"

Global navigation links