Californium (Cf) . Chemical element, with atomic number 98, the ninth member of the series of transuranic elements . It was obtained artificially at the University of California in 1950 by Seaborg and his collaborators. All isotopes of californium are radioactive.
Summary
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- 1 History
- 2 Properties
- 3 Methods of obtaining
- 4 Applications
- 5 Health effects
- 6 Environmental effects
- 7 Elements Related to Californium
- 8 Sources
History
- Discoverer: Glenn Seaborg, Albert Ghiorso, Stanley Thompson, Kenneth Street.
- Place of discovery: United States
- Year of discovery: 1950
- Origin of the name: In honor of the state and the University of California.
- Obtaining: It was obtained in the Berkeleycyclotron by bombarding some 242 cm micrograms with helium ions of 35 MeV.
Its discovery and production is based on the artificial nuclear transmutation of radioactive isotopes of lighter elements. All the isotopes of californium are radioactive, with a half-life interval between one minute and about 1000 years. Californium does not exist in the earth’s crust due to its nuclear instability.
Properties
Californium
The chemical properties are similar to those observed for the other actinide elements with a 3+ charge: nitrate, sulfate, chloride and perchlorate are soluble in water. Californium precipitates as fluoride, oxalate, or hydroxide.
Ion exchange chromatography can be used to isolate and identify californium in the presence of the other actinide elements. Metallic californium is highly volatile and distills at temperatures of the order of 1100-1200ºC (2010-2190ºF).
It is chemically reactive and exists in three different crystalline modifications between room temperature and its melting point 900ºC (1600ºF).
The most easily produced and useful isotope is 252 Cf; it is obtained in quantities of the order of grams in nuclear reactors and has a half-life of 2.6 years. It partially decays by spontaneous fission and is widely used in the study of fission. It also has an important influence on the development of counters and electronic systems with applications not only in nuclear physics, but also in medical research.
Obtaining methods
It is obtained by successive captures of [[neutron] es] from plutonium .
Applications
It is used to measure humidity and in oil fields (determination of water layers in oil), since it is a very efficient source of neutrons.
It is used as a portable neutron source to detect metals ( gold , silver ) in activation analysis.
Health effects
Californium 252 is a very powerful neutron emitter. It is known to be extremely radioactive. Here are some health hazards of radioactivity to be aware of:
The development of nuclear technology has been accompanied by both large and small releases of radioactivity into the atmosphere, soil, oceans, seas, and groundwater, showing up throughout the world in plant, animal and inert matter. Radiation passes from one species to another and concentrates through the food chain, subjecting other animals and humans to its damaging effects.
The greatest threat of radioactivity to life as we know it is the damage it causes to genetic material, the genetic makeup of all living species. Genetic damage from radiation exposure accumulates over lives and generations.
Even low dose exposures are carcinogenic after prolonged exposure. The current generation, the one now in the womb, and all those who follow can suffer from cancers, damaged immune systems, leukemias, miscarriages, stillbirths, deformities and fertility problems. While many of these health problems are on the rise, individuals cannot prove that the cause was either increased background radiation or specific exposure. Only epidemiological evidence is scientifically acceptable to impute the cause. Perhaps the most extreme consequence over time will simply be the total cessation of reproductive capacity. Radiation is a known cause of sterility.
Environmental effects
Californium 252 is a very powerful neutron emitter. It is known to be extremely radioactive.
Radioactivity damages the genetic material not only of human beings, but of all living beings, causing cancers, damage to the immune system, leukemias, miscarriages, stillbirths, deformities and fertility problems. Additionally, genetic damage from radiation exposure accumulates over lives and generations.
Californium-related elements
The following elements are related to californium, either by proximity in its atomic number or period or by its group.
