Polonium Element Properties and Information
Polonium Element Properties and Information
Polonium is 84th element on the periodic table. Elements are arranged in the periodic table on the basis of the atomic number. Atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. Polonium has an atomic number of 84. It is located in the Group 16 and Period 6 of the periodic table of elements. It is denoted by the symbol ‘Po’. Polonium is named after Poland, native country of Marie Curie, who is the discoverer of polonium.
Mendeleev had predicted polonium by observing the periodic table long before it was discovered by Marie Curie. He predicted that this element would have an atomic weight of 212. Marie Curie and Pierre Curie extracted polonium from some pitchblende (uranium ore) after months of painstaking efforts because the quantity of polonium was limited to trace amounts.
Polonium is a very rare element in nature because all its isotopes have very short half-lives. Uranium ores contain trace amounts of polonium but the extraction process is extremely tedious and infeasible for commercial production.
Physical Properties
- Polonium is a radioactive metal which does not have any stable isotope.
- The atomic mass of polonium is (210).
- The melting point of polonium is 254°C.
- The boiling point of polonium is 962°C.
- The density of polonium is 9510 in S.I. units at 20°C.
- Polonium has two allotropic forms: simple cubic crystal structure and rhombohedral.
- Polonium has 42 known isotopes; all of which are radioactive.
Chemical Properties
- Polonium dissolves readily in dilute acids.
- Polonium is slightly soluble in alkalis.
All polonium compounds are synthetically created.
Methods of Production
Irradiation & Extraction: The natural bismuth-209 is first bombarded with neutrons to yield bismuth-210. The bismuth-210 then undergoes a beta-minus decay to yield polonium-210. The polonium-210 is pyro-chemically purified and then extracted. Almost all of the polonium which is used worldwide is produced in Russia. About 100 mg of polonium is produced annually with the method of irradiation and it is the only commercial method of extraction.
Relevance in Chemical & Related Industries
In paper, textile, and metal industries: Polonium had been used as a component of brushing devices which remove static charge from paper rolls, sheet metals, textile mills, etc.
Relevance in Other Industries
Generators: One gram of polonium-210 is capable of producing 140 watts of power: thus, it is used to power radioactive thermoelectric generators.
Health Effects on Exposure
Polonium-210: It is a radioactive substance; it should be handled with care as it has potential to cause cancer. It is also soluble; if it enters in the body then it will circulate throughout the body. Such a contact implies early death and the diseases which appear are leukemia, liver cirrhosis, stomach ulcer, bladder cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
Effects on Exposure
The effects of polonium on environment have not been studied well.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium
