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Trans-uranium elements
For a very long time U (92) continued to
be the last heavy element known
After 1940 a series of 11 elements with Z
93-103 were identified and synthesized by
transformation of naturally occurring
elements by nuclear reactions.
These man made elements are called
trans-uranium elements
Actinium
A soft, silvery metal, which is reported to
glow blue. This is due to its radioactivity.
Actinium starts the series of actinoids
(elements 90-103), which are named after
this element. It naturally occurs from
uranium decay, the half-life of its most
stable isotope is less than 22 years. It has
very few applications, because it is difficult
to handle and very dangerous.
Thorium
Thorium by far is the most stable and frequent
actinoid, the half-life of 232Th is 14 billion years.
The soft, in pure form silvery metal is chemically
very reactive and only light toxic.
However, its weak radioactivity can become
dangerous, if it is inhaled. Therefore it is not
longer much used for mantles in gas lights,
unlike years ago. It is still common for some
special alloys and in good camera lenses (as
ThO2). Thorium decays to radium.
Thorium
Protactinium
A compact chunk of the radioactive heavy
metal produces so much heat that it glows
red.
no stable isotopes
Protactinium primarly is generated from
the decay of the rare isotope uranium 235
(via the very unstable thorium 231).
Therefore it only exists in small amounts,
most of it is found in nuclear waste.
Uranium
Neptunium
Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2002
6 kg heavy neptunium 237 sphere.
Plutonium
Americium
1944: the first produced americium (as
hydroxide) on the bottom of a glass vial.
Curium
Chemically similar to gadolinium, but
highly radioactive, the metal produces
much heat.
The synthetic element curium is usually
made from plutonium and mostly decays
to this again. The most stable isotope,
247Cm, has a quite long half-life of 15.6
million years. However, this is scarcely
produced.
Berkelium
The highly reactive, silvery metal is a
strong -emitter.
Berkelium is made from americium or
curium, mostly unintentional, because
outside of basic research it hasn't any
application. The most stable isotope,
247Bk, has a half-life of 1380 years, but this
is hardly produced.
Californium
The strong and neutron emitter produces
a considerable heat.
Californium emerges in tiny amounts
rather randomly from plutonium via the
elements between these two.
With Californium, it is a bother to
laboriously extract it, because for 252Cf,
which has a half-life of 2.6 years.
About 3% of this isotope spontaneously
fissions into large chunks and hot
neutrons.
Mendelevium
Chemically similar to Thulium, the highly
radioactive heavy metal emits very
energetic -radiation.
Mendelevium is the first synthetic element,
which can't be produced any more by
neutron capture. To make mendelevium,
einsteinium is bombarded with helium
nuclei. Most of it decays to einsteinium
again.
Nobelium
Nobelium can only be made in very small
amounts and emits strong radiation of
various kinds.
Nobelium is produced for example by
bombarding californium with carbon or
uranium with neon. The most stable
isotope has a half-life of 58 minutes. Most
of it decays to fermium or by spontaneous
fission. Of its physical properties not much
is known, but they are probably similar to
those of the other actinoids.
Lawrencium
Lawrencium can only be made in very
small amoun
Lawrencium is produced for example by
bombarding californium with boron or
americium with oxygen.
The most stable isotope has a half-life of
3.6 hours.
This decays to nobelium, most other
isotopes to mendelevium.
aq. Phase
FPs
org phase
UO22+ + PuO22+
Was with SO2
Org.phase
UO22+
Dil. HNO3
aq. Phase
Pu4+
Org.phase
recycle
Repeat oxidation
and extraction cycle
aq. Phase
Residue
BiPO4 carrying Pu4+
Filtrate
UO22+
Residue
BiPO4 carrying FPs
Filtrate
Pu6+