Actinides - Occurrence, Physical And Chemical Properties, Uses Of Actinides - General preparation
generic elements metals
Actinides or actinoids is a generic term that refers to a series of 15 chemical elements. Denoted by the generic symbol An, these elements are all radioactive heavy metals, positioned in the seventh period and elaborated upon at the bottom of the periodic table.
All actinide metals are prepared on a scale by the reduction of AnF3 or AnF4 with vapors of lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), or barium (Ba) at 2,102–2,552°F (1,150–1,400°C); sometimes chlorides or oxides are used. The Van Arkel-de Boer process is a special preparation method used for thorium and protactinium.
Additional Topics
Only actinium (atomic symbol, Ac), thorium (Th), protactinium (Pa), and uranium (U) are extracted from deposits in nature. In Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Namibia, thorium and protactinium are available in large quantities. All other actinides are synthetic or man-made. To understand the physical and chemical properties of actinides, a basic foundation of atomic structure, radioact…
A common feature of actinides is the possession of multiple oxidation states. The term oxidation state refers to the number of electron(s) that are involved or that can possibly become involved in the formation of chemical bond(s) in that compound, when one element combines with another element during a chemical reaction. The oxidation state is designated by a plus sign (when an electron is donate…
Even though hazards are associated with radioactivity of actinides, many beneficial applications exist as well. Radioactive nuclides are used in cancer therapy, analytical chemistry, and in basic research in the study of chemical structures and mechanisms. The explosive power of uranium and plutonium are well exploited in making atom bombs. In fact, the uranium enriched atom bomb that exploded ove…
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