Secrets of radioactive 'promethium' -- a rare earth element with mysterious applications -- uncovered after 80-year search
By Victoria Atkinson published 3 hours ago
Scientists have revealed key properties of radioactive promethium, a rare earth element with poorly understood applications, using a groundbreaking new method.
For the first time, scientists have revealed crucial properties of the mysterious, radioactive substance promethium — nearly eight decades after the elusive rare earth element was discovered.
Promethium is one of the 15 lanthanide elements at the bottom of the periodic table. Also known as the rare earths, these metals exhibit a number of useful properties, including strong magnetism and unusual optical characteristics, making them particularly important in modern electronic devices.
"They are used in lasers; they are part of the screens of your smartphone. They are also used in very strong magnets in wind turbines and electric vehicles," Ilja Popovs, a research and development staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and co-author of a new study published in the journal Nature, told Live Science.
'Scarce and difficult to study'
Promethium itself, which was discovered by ORNL scientists in 1945, has a few minor applications in atomic batteries arnd cancer diagnostics. But scientists have a very limited understanding of the element's chemistry, precluding more widespread uses.
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https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/secrets-of-radioactive-promethium-a-rare-earth-element-with-mysterious-applications-uncovered-after-80-year-search
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