Technetium

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Technetium
Properties
Atomic symbol Tc
Atomic number 43
Classification Metallic
Atomic mass 97 amu
Number of Stable Isotopes 0
Melting point (°C) 3915 °F (2157 °C or 2430 K)
Boiling point (°C) 7709 °F (4265 °C or 4538 K)
Density (grams per cc) 11 g/cm3
Other Information
Date of discovery 1937
Name of discoverer Carlo Perrier and Emillo G. Segre
Name origin from the Greek tekhnetos, meaning artificial.
Uses Source of radiation for medical research.
Obtained from Manufactured by bombarding Molybdenum with heavy hydrogen in a cyclotron. Only minute quantities have been found outside the laboratory, as a by-product of the fission of Uranium-238.

Technetium (tek-NEE-she-em) is a radioactive, silvery-grey synthetic metal. Out of all the elements, it is the lightest one whose isotopes are all radioactive. Its longest-lived isotope 97Tc has a (beta) half-life of 4.2 million years.

History

In 1937, the Italian chemists Carlo Perrier and Emilio Segrè isolated Technetium using a cyclotron; it was the first artificially produced (synthetic) element. Since this element has such a short half-life, it cannot be found in nature.[1] Before this time, it had been predicted but never found.[2]

Uses

The primary use of Technetium is for medical exploration as a tracer. It can also be added to steel for corrosion resistance. This not usually practical, however, since it is a radioactive material.[3]

References

  1. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele043.html
  2. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Technetium
  3. http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/43/technetium

External Resources

http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/43/technetium