Used in thermoelectric devices due to its high efficiency in converting heat to electricity, especially in alloys like bismuth telluride for cooling and power generation. Added to alloys such as lead, copper, and steel to improve machinability, durability, and corrosion resistance in industrial applications, including free-machining variants. Employed in semiconductor materials for optoelectronic devices, infrared detectors, and cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar panels, offering a low-cost, thin-film photovoltaic technology with strong light absorption. Also used in rewritable optical media, phase-change memory devices, and specialty tellurite glasses known for their high infrared transmission. Small amounts serve as a catalyst in certain organic reactions and in the vulcanization of rubber. Tellurium compounds are under study in biochemical research for potential future medical applications, despite toxicity concerns.