Name : Promethium - Pm

Promethium is a rare-earth metal that emits beta radius. It is very

radoiactive and rare, so it is little studied: its chemical and physical
properties are not well defined. Promethium salts have a pink or red colour
that coluors the surroundings air with a pale blue-green light.

*Origin Name - Promethium is named after Prometheus of Greek

mythology who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humans.

How Formed

In 1902, Bohuslav Branner speculated that there should be an element

in the periodic table between neodymium and samarium. He was not to know
that all its isotopes were radioactive and had long disappeared. Attempts
were made to discover it and several claims were made, but clearly all were
false. However, minute amounts of promethium do occur in uranium ores as a
result of nuclear fission, but in amounts of less than a microgram per million
tonnes of ore.

Proponents

In 1939, the 60-inch cyclotron at the University of California was used

to make promethium, but it was not proven. Finally element 61 was produced
in 1945 by Jacob .A. Marinsky, Lawrence E. Glendenin, and Charles D. Coryell
at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They used ion-exchange chromatography to
separate it from the fission products of uranium fuel taken from a nuclear
reactor.

Application

Most promethium is used for research purpose. It can be used as beta

radiation source in luminous paint, in nuclear batteries for guided missiles,
watches, pacemakers and rados, and as a light source for signals. It is
possible that in future it will be used as portable X-ray source.

Properties

Physical properties

Promethium is a silver-white metal with a melting point of 1,160C

(2,120F) and no measured boiling point. Its density is 7.2 grams per cubic
centimeter. The physical properties of promethium are of less interest to
scientists than its radioactive properties.

Chemical properties

Promethium behaves like other rare earth elements. The chemical

properties of promethium are of less interest to scientists than its radioactive
properties.