BISMUTH (III) OXIDE,  Bi2O3, 99.9%, 1 lb , Technical Grade, High Purity

Bismuth(III) oxide is perhaps the most industrially important compound of bismuth. It is also a common starting point for bismuth chemistry. It is found naturally as the mineral bismite (monoclinic) and sphaerobismoite (tetragonal, much more rare), but it is usually obtained as a by-product of the smelting of copper and lead ores. Bismuth trioxide is commonly used to produce the "Dragon's eggs" effect in fireworks, as a replacement of red lead.[1]


The structures adopted by Bi2O3 differ substantially from those of arsenic(III) oxide, As2O3, and antimony(III) oxide, Sb2O3.[2]


Bismuth oxide, Bi2O3 has five crystallographic polymorphs. The room temperature phase, α-Bi2O3 has a monoclinic crystal structure. There are three high temperature phases, a tetragonal β-phase, a body-centred cubic γ-phase, a cubic δ-Bi2O3 phase and an ε- phase. The room temperature α-phase has a complex structure with layers of oxygen atoms with layers of bismuth atoms between them. The bismuth atoms are in two different environments which can be described as distorted 6 and 5 coordinate respectively.[3]

β-Bi2O3 has a structure related to fluorite.[2]

γ-Bi2O3 has a structure related to that of Bi12SiO20 (a sillenite), where a fraction of the Bi atoms occupy the position occupied by SiIV, and may be written as Bi12Bi0.8O19.2.[4]

δ- Bi2O3 has a defective fluorite-type crystal structure in which two of the eight oxygen sites in the unit cell are vacant.[5] ε- Bi2O3 has a structure related to the α- and β- phases but as the structure is fully ordered it is an ionic insulator. It can be prepared by hydrothermal means and transforms to the α- phase at 400 °C.[4]

The monoclinic α-phase transforms to the cubic δ-Bi2O3 when heated above 729 °C, which remains the structure until the melting point, 824 °C, is reached. The behaviour of Bi2O3 on cooling from the δ-phase is more complex, with the possible formation of two intermediate metastable phases; the tetragonal β-phase or the body-centred cubic γ-phase. The γ-phase can exist at room temperature with very slow cooling rates, but α- Bi2O3 always forms on cooling the β-phase. Even though when formed by heat, it reverts to α- Bi2O3 when the temperature drops back below 727 °C, δ-Bi2O3 can be formed directly through electrodeposition and remain relatively stable at room temperature, in an electrolyte of bismuth compounds that is also rich in sodium or potassium hydroxide so as to have a pH near 14.

Interest has centred on δ- Bi2O3 as it is principally an ionic conductor. In addition to electrical properties, thermal expansion properties are very important when considering possible applications for solid electrolytes. High thermal expansion coefficients represent large dimensional variations under heating and cooling, which would limit the performance of an electrolyte. The transition from the high-temperature δ- Bi2O3 to the intermediate β- Bi2O3 is accompanied by a large volume change and consequently, a deterioration of the mechanical properties of the material. This, combined with the very narrow stability range of the δ-phase (727–824 °C), has led to studies on its stabilization to room temperature.

Bi2O3 easily forms solid solutions with many other metal oxides. These doped systems exhibit a complex array of structures and properties dependent on the type of dopant, the dopant concentration and the thermal history of the sample. The most widely studied systems are those involving rare earth metal oxides, Ln2O3, including yttria, Y2O3. Rare earth metal cations are generally very stable, have similar chemical properties to one another and are similar in size to Bi3+, which has a radius of 1.03 Å, making them all excellent dopants. Furthermore, their ionic radii decrease fairly uniformly from La3+ (1.032 Å), through Nd3+, (0.983 Å), Gd3+, (0.938 Å), Dy3+, (0.912 Å) and Er3+, (0.89 Å), to Lu3+, (0.861 Å) (known as the ‘lanthanide contraction’), making them useful to study the effect of dopant size on the stability of the Bi2O3 phases.

Bi2O3 has also been used as sintering additive in the Sc2O3- doped zirconia system for intermediate temperature SOFC.[11]


Bismuth trioxide is commercially made from bismuth subnitrate. The latter is produced by dissolving bismuth in hot nitric acid. Addition of excess sodium hydroxide followed by continuous heating of the mixture precipitates bismuth(III) oxide as a heavy yellow powder. Also, the trioxide can be prepared by ignition of bismuth hydroxide.[1]


Oxidation with ammonium persulfate and dilute caustic soda gives bismuth tetroxide. The same product can be obtained by using other oxidizing agents such as potassium ferricyanide and concentrated caustic potash solution.

Electrolysis of bismuth(III) oxide in hot concentrated alkali solution gives a scarlet red precipitate of bismuth(V) oxide. Bismuth(III) oxide reacts with mineral acids to give the corresponding bismuth(III) salts.

Reaction with acetic anhydride and oleic acid gives bismuth trioleate.
............................................................................................................................................................................. Testing Policy: Testing of raw materials should be an integral part of ceramic or glass making / manufacturing. Upon receipt of any new material, we strongly recommend that you test the material. "Paul Brown Studio Arts and Supplies" . has no control over either the variations that may occur in the natural materials or their application. All products are supplied as is from the manufacturer. No additional processing or technical support is supplied. Therefore, our products are sold with the understanding that the user is solely responsible for determining suitability for any purpose and the results obtained. There are no warranties expressed or implied, regarding the user’s finished product or results. Return Policy: Returns are accepted 14 days from date of shipment only if the box has not been opened. Furthermore, the labeling and packaging must be in its original condition. If the box has been opened then that will exempt it from being returned. All returns must be authorized by "Paul Brown Studio Arts and Supplies". There is a 25% restocking fee for all returns plus the price for the return shipping charges. No refund will be granted if returned without prior authorization from "Paul Brown Studio Arts and Supplies". No refund will be granted if shipment is refused by buyer or an incorrect address is given (change of address once shipped is prohibited by our shipping carriers). We will be happy to answer any questions regarding our products prior to ordering to prevent a return situation for you.

Return Policy: No Returns