Scientists finally reveal the secrets of PromethiumJose A. Bernat Bacete – Getty Images “Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.” Although the Periodic Table of Elements is an impressive feat of human understanding, scientists still find secrets about certain elements among its carefully arranged rows and columns. … Read more
Nearly 80 years after scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered an extremely rare radioactive element called promethium, a team at the lab published a groundbreaking study on the subject that could “rewrite chemistry books,” according to ORNL. Research published in Nature on May 22 marks the first time scientists have discovered the element’s key … Read more
Promethium is extremely rare: only about 0.5 kg occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust at any time. Conceptual art shows the rare earth element promethium in a vial surrounded by an organic ligand. Image credits: Jacqueline DeMink / Thomas Dyke / ORNL. Promethium, discovered in 1945 at Clinton Laboratories, is a lanthanide element with the … Read more