ACTINIDE
WHAT IS ACTINIDE?
Actinoids or actinides are the 15 elements of the
periodic table that start from atomic number 89
and end up at 103.
The series
Edit of the element starts with Actinium
and ends up at Lawrencium.
a design
The group of elements is generally larger and
radioactive.
BENEFITS AND USES OF ACTINIDES
Actinides are used as energy sources in
cardiac pacemakers.
They are also used in generation of
electrical energy for instrumentation
on the moon.
Uranium and plutonium have been used
for generation of nuclear energy.
Interact and make it happen
CHARACTERISTICS OF ACTINIDE
Actinides are elements with atomic numbers from
90 to 103 following element Actinium. They include
naturally occurring elements of thorium,
protactinium and uranium and eleven transuranic
i.e., artificially produced by nuclear reactions.
Nevertheless, all actinides are radioactive.
Actinium
Actinium is a very powerful source
of alpha rays, but is rarely used
outside research.
Actinium is a soft, silvery-white
radioactive metal. It glows blue in the
dark because its intense
radioactivity excites the air around
it. Find recent
designs here
Thorium
Thorium is an important alloying agent in
magnesium, as it imparts greater strength
and creep resistance at high temperatures.
Thorium is found in the minerals thorite,
uranothorite, and thorianite. It is also found in
monazite, the most important commercial
source. Several methods are used to produce
the metal, such as reducing thorium oxide
with calcium or electrolysis of the fluoride.
Protactinium
Because of its scarcity, high
radioactivity and high toxicity,
there are currently no practical
uses for protactinium other
than that of basic scientific
research, and for this purpose,
protactinium is generally
extracted from spent nuclear
fuel.
Uranium
Uranium is a very important
element because it provides us
with nuclear fuel used to generate
electricity in nuclear power
stations. It is also the major
material from which other
synthetic transuranium elements
are made.
Uranium is also used
by the military to
power nuclear submarines and in
nuclear weapons.
Neptunium
Neptunium is
little used outside
research. The isotope neptunium-
237 has been used in neutron
detectors.
Neptunium is obtained
as a by-
product from nuclear
reactors.
It is extracted from
the spent
uranium fuel
rods. Trace
quantities occur naturally in
uranium ores.
Plutonium
Plutonium was used in several of the first
atomic bombs, and is still used in nuclear
weapons. The complete detonation of a
kilogram of plutonium produces an
explosion equivalent to over 10,000
tonnes of chemical explosive.
Plutonium is also a key material in the
development of nuclear power. It has
been used as a source of energy on space
missions, such as the Mars Curiosity
Rover and the New Horizons spacecraft
on its way to Pluto.
Americium
Americium is commonly
used in smoke alarms, but
has few other uses.
It has the potential to be used in
spacecraft batteries in the future.
Currently plutonium is used but
availability is poor so alternatives
are being considered.
Curium
Curium has been used to provide
power to electrical equipment
used on space missions.
Curium can be made in very small
amounts by the neutron bombardment
of plutonium in a nuclear reactor.
Minute amounts may exist in natural
deposits of uranium. Only a few grams
are produced each year.
Berkelium
Because it is so rare,
berkelium has no
commercial or
technological use at
present.
Californium
Californium is a very strong neutron
emitter. It is used in portable metal
detectors, for identifying gold and
silver ores, to identify water and oil
layers in oil wells and to detect
metal fatigue and stress in
aeroplanes.
Einsteinium
A radioactive metal obtained
only in microgram quantities.
Einsteinium can
be obtained in
milligram quantities from the
neutron bombardment of
plutonium in a nuclear reactor.
Fermium
A radioactive metal obtained
only in microgram quantities.
Fermium can be obtained, in
microgram quantities, from the
neutron bombardment of
plutonium in a nuclear reactor.
Mendelevium
A radioactive metal, of which only a
few atoms have ever been created.
Mendelevium does not occur
naturally. It is made by bombarding
einsteinium with alpha particles
(helium ions).
Nobelium
Nobelium is made by
bombarding curium with carbon
in a device called a cyclotron.
Nobelium is a radioactive metal.
Only a few atoms have ever been
made. Its half-life is only 58
minutes.
Lawrencium
A radioactive metal of
which only a few atoms
have ever been created.
Lawrencium does
not occur
naturally. It is produced by
bombarding californium
with boron.
