Element 34 · Non-Metal
Selenium
Selenium is essential for human health in trace amounts — and used in solar cells, glass, and electronic copiers.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Se
ATOMIC NO.
34
ATOMIC WEIGHT
78.971
CATEGORY
Metalloid
PERIOD
Period 4
GROUP
Group 16
History
Selenium was discovered in 1817 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius as a byproduct of sulphuric acid production from pyrite ores. He named it after Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon, because it was often found alongside tellurium (named after the Earth). In the 20th century, selenium was the active material in early photocopier drums (the xerographic process, invented by Chester Carlson in 1938) and in early rectifiers and photovoltaic cells.
Uses Today
Major current uses include glass manufacturing (selenium decolourises glass and imparts amber or bronze tints), cadmium selenide and CIGS thin-film solar cells, selenium rectifiers in electronics, as a dietary supplement and livestock feed additive (selenium deficiency causes white muscle disease in animals), and as a free-machining additive in copper and steel alloys.
Why We Don't Buy It
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Selenium:
Selenium is a metalloid produced exclusively as a trace byproduct of copper refining, appearing at concentrations of around 50–500 ppm in copper anode slime. It does not appear in general scrap streams in recoverable concentrations and requires specialist hydrometallurgical processing at copper refineries.
Value & Pricing
Selenium trades on specialist metal markets at approximately £15–50/kg, driven primarily by solar cell manufacturing demand and copper refining output. China and Japan dominate production. Not traded at scrap yards.