Germanium itself is not radioactive. The naturally occurring germanium that you find in commercial and industrial applications is stable and non-radioactive. It consists of several isotopes, most of which are stable, including germanium-70, germanium-72, germanium-73, and germanium-74.
However, germanium does have one naturally occurring radioactive isotope, germanium-76, but it has an extremely long half-life (about 1.78 x 10^21 years), which makes it practically stable for all common purposes. The radioactivity of this isotope is so low that it does not pose any significant risk in practical applications.
In addition to natural isotopes, there are synthetic radioactive isotopes of germanium produced in particle accelerators, but these are used primarily for research purposes and are not typically found in commercial or industrial environments.
Shapeoptics offers a comprehensive range of materials and advanced equipment for custom and OEM optical components, leveraging over 20 years of expertise in manufacturing lenses, prisms, windows, and more. We utilize high-quality materials like UV and IR grade fused silica, Germanium, and ZnSe, among others. Our state-of-the-art techniques and equipment minimize waste and optimize delivery times. Our in-house capabilities include standard and custom coatings across the UV-NIR spectrum, ensuring high quality and compliance with all industry standards. For precision and reliability in optics, contact Shapeoptics for your next project.
