Category Archives: Table of The Elements

Arsenic
19
Feb

Overview

Arsenic is a brittle metalloid with a history of both industrial use and notoriety for toxicity in inorganic forms.

Properties

It forms multiple allotropes and oxidation states commonly +3 and +5 and produces toxic inorganic arsenic species.

Occurrence and Uses

Arsenic occurs in mineral ores and is used in some semiconductors, wood preservatives and historically in pesticides and alloys.

Isotopes and Safety

Stable isotope As 75 is natural; inorganic arsenic compounds are highly toxic and carcinogenic, requiring strict environmental and occupational controls.

Fluorine
8
Feb

Overview

Fluorine is a pale yellow, highly reactive gas that forms strong bonds and reacts with nearly all other elements.

Properties

It is the most electronegative element, extremely corrosive and forms stable fluoride compounds.

Occurrence and Uses

Found in minerals like fluorite, fluorine is used in refrigerants, pharmaceuticals, fluoropolymers and water fluoridation compounds.

Isotopes and Safety

Stable F 19 is the only stable isotope; elemental fluorine is highly toxic and corrosive and requires specialized containment and neutralization.

Zirconium
8
Feb

Overview

Zirconium is a lustrous, gray transition metal valued for corrosion resistance, low neutron absorption and high melting point.

Properties

It forms stable oxides, has good mechanical properties at high temperatures and commonly exhibits a +4 oxidation state.

Occurrence and Uses

Zirconium is used in nuclear cladding, chemical processing equipment, refractory materials and advanced ceramics and is derived from zircon mineral.

Isotopes and Safety

Stable isotopes include Zr 90 to Zr 96; zirconium metal is generally corrosion resistant though fine powders can be reactive and require handling controls.

Promethium
6
Feb

Overview

Promethium is a radioactive lanthanide produced synthetically and found only in trace amounts as fission product or made in reactors.

Properties

It exhibits typical lanthanide chemistry, is radioactive with no stable isotopes and has limited commercial uses due to scarcity and radioactivity.

Occurrence and Uses

Used in research, luminous paint historically and as a beta source for thickness gauges and nuclear batteries in specialized applications.

Isotopes and Safety

Promethium isotopes e.g., Pm 147 are radioactive and require radiological controls for handling, storage and disposal.

Scandium
5
Feb

Overview

Scandium is a silvery white transition metal found in trace amounts in rare minerals and often recovered as a byproduct of other mining operations.

Properties

It is lightweight, has good strength to weight ratio in alloys and exhibits typical transition metal chemistry with +3 oxidation state predominating.

Occurrence and Uses

Used in high performance aluminum scandium alloys for aerospace and sporting goods and in metal halide lamps for high intensity lighting.

Isotopes and Safety

Stable isotope Sc 45 is natural; scandium compounds are of low abundance and handled with standard industrial precautions.