What does protactinium look like?
What does protactinium look like?
Protactinium is a silver metallic element that belongs to the actinide group. It is malleable, shiny, silver-gray, radioactive. It does not tarnish rapidly in air, it is attacked by oxygen, steam and acids, but not by alkalis.
What do you use protactinium for?
nuclear fuel
Currently, protactinium is usually extracted from used nuclear fuel. Due to its scarcity, high toxicity, and high radioactivity, protactinium has no current practical uses other than basic scientific research.
Where can protactinium be found?
uranium ores
Small amounts of protactinium are found naturally in uranium ores. It is also found in spent fuel rods from nuclear reactors, from which it is extracted.
How much does protactinium cost?
Protactinium is one of the rarest and most expensive naturally occurring elements. O.R.N.L. supplies promethium-231 at a cost of about $280/g….
| Atomic Number: | 91 |
|---|---|
| Atomic Symbol: | Pa |
| Atomic Weight: | 231.0359 |
| Electron Configuration: | [Rn]7s25f26d1 |
| Total Isotopes | 32 |
Is protactinium synthetic or natural?
Occurrence. Protactinium is one of the rarest and most expensive naturally occurring elements. It is found in the form of two isotopes – 231Pa and 234Pa, with the isotope 234Pa occurring in two different energy states. Nearly all natural protactinium is protactinium-231.
Is protactinium toxic?
Protactinium is harmful due to its radioactivity and is also toxic. Characteristics: Protactinium is a very rare shiny, silvery, highly radioactive metal that tarnishes slowly in air to the oxide. Almost all naturally occurring protactinium is the 231 isotope.
How long does protactinium last?
Nearly all naturally occurring protactinium is 231Pa with a half-life of 32,700 years. It is an alpha emitter and is formed by the decay of uranium-235, whereas the beta radiating protactinium-234 with a half-life of 6.74 hours is produced as a result of uranium-238 decay.
What is protactinium?
protactinium (Pa), radioactive chemical element of the actinoid series of the periodic table, rarer than radium; its atomic number is 91. It occurs in all uranium ores to the extent of 0.34 part per million of uranium. Its existence was predicted by Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleyev in his 1871 periodic table.
What are some compounds that are made from protactinium?
Known protactinium compounds include:
- Fluorides. PaF4 PaF5
- Chlorides. PaCl4 PaCl5
- Bromides. PaBr4 PaBr5
- Iodides. PaI3 PaI4 PaI5
- Oxides. PaO. PaO2 Pa2O5
What is protactinium made from?
Nearly all natural protactinium is protactinium-231. It is an alpha emitter and is formed by the decay of uranium-235, whereas the beta radiating protactinium-234 is produced as a result of uranium-238 decay.
What are some fun facts about protactinium?
Other Interesting Protactinium Facts Even if it was not radioactive, protactinium would present a health risk because the element is also a toxic metal. The largest amount of protactinium obtained to date was 125 grams, which the Great Britain Atomic Energy Authority extracted from 60 tons of nuclear waste.
What color is protactinium?
silvery-gray
Protactinium (formerly protoactinium) is a chemical element with the symbol Pa and atomic number 91. It is a dense, silvery-gray actinide metal which readily reacts with oxygen, water vapor and inorganic acids.
