Technetium
From Chemistry Resource
| Technetium
| |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Tc |
| Atomic number | 43 |
| Atomic mass | 98.9062 amu |
Technetium, taken from the Greek name technetos, meaning "artificial".
Distinguishing properties
Technetium is a corrosion-resistant metal. It is silvery-grey and look much like platinum. Chemically it is a cross between rhenium and manganese. These elements belong to the same group on the periodic table and it is quite common that an element will resemble its group members. Technetium also has superconducting properties.
Occurrence
Technetium was the first synthetically produced element. In 1937, technetium was produced by bombarding deuterons with molybdenum in a cyclotron. Later it was found among the fission products of uranium.
Usage
Industrial applications of technetium include:
- alloying (i.e. with as little as 55 part-per-million technetium) with iron to transform iron into a corrosion-resistant alloy.
- using its radioactive isotope in diagnostic medicine.
