technetium
Noun
Meaning
a crystalline metallic element not found in nature; occurs as one of the fission products of uranium
Source: WordNetSynonyms
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Phrases with the word
Examples
Only minute traces of technetium occur naturally in the Earth's crust—as a spontaneous fission product of uranium-238 or by neutron capture in molybdenum ores—but technetium is present naturally in red giant stars.
Because technetium is radioactive, with a half-life much less than the age of the star, its abundance must reflect its recent creation within that star.
For example, it is estimated that up to 1994, about 49,000 TBq (78 metric ton ) of technetium was produced in nuclear reactors, which is by far the dominant source of terrestrial technetium.
Her suggestion was not taken seriously at the time because her team had not carried out any experiments with uranium, and its claim to have discovered masurium ( technetium ) was disputed.
It consists of a trigonal prism with a technetium atom in the center and six hydrogen atoms at the corners.
Natural technetium and promethium are produced in this manner.