Bismuth has become popular as a replacement for the highly toxic metal lead, as it has a comparable density and many countries now prohibit the use of lead shot for hunting water birds.

Admittedly, we have a pretty low bar for that kind of stuff, but eye candy aside, [Robin Debreuil]’s quick outline of his technique for desoldering with the help of bismuth is worth watching.

A BISMUTH are, operating in a hydrogen atmosphere at reduced pressure (10–20 mm.), emits the line λ4722 of bismuth (Bi) with great brilliance. A faint band spectrum was found to occupy the ...