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Research draft

promethium

vr.tr.promethium · PHY.MAT

Let an agent identify promethium and its properties, relay isotopes, production and uses from reference sources, relay radiation safety information, and distinguish it from neighbouring lanthanides.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent identify promethium and its properties, relay isotopes, production and uses from reference sources, relay radiation safety information, and distinguish it from neighbouring lanthanides.

A chemical element with symbol Pm and atomic number 61, a radioactive lanthanide with no stable isotopes, of which promethium-145 is the longest-lived at about 17.7 years and promethium-147 the most used; it occurs naturally only in trace amounts from uranium fission and is produced in reactors, and it has been used in luminous paint, nuclear batteries and thickness gauges.

What it is for: Nuclear batteries, luminous sources and research.

It can be relay properties and isotopes; explain production and uses; relay radiation safety information; distinguish from other lanthanides.

Distinguishing features

No stable isotopes

Only lanthanide absent from the crust

Produced in reactors

Named after Prometheus

What it looks like

A silvery metal, rarely seen in bulk; its salts glow faintly from radioactivity.

Physical character

atomic number: 61 Z

longest-lived isotope: Pm-145, about 17.7 years - half-life

melting point: about 1042 degrees C - estimated

density: about 7.26 g/cm3 - estimated

How it is recognised

Element 61, symbol Pm

Radioactive lanthanide with no stable isotopes

Neodymium and samarium are the stable neighbours

Related models

is a kind of - the series

lanthanide

is a kind of - no stable isotopes

radioactive element

is adjacent to - element 60

neodymium

is adjacent to - element 62

samarium

In practice

Families and kinds

isotopes from promethium-126 to promethium-163, all radioactive

promethium-147 as the working isotope

promethium compounds such as the chloride and oxide

promethium in nuclear batteries and luminous paint

Identifiers

symbol Pm

CAS 7440-12-2

Standards and regulation

Radiation protection and radioactive source rules

Transport rules for radioactive material

Nuclear material licensing

Failure modes and hazards

Radiation exposure

Contamination

Legacy luminous products

Also called

promethium-151promethium-126promethium-127promethium-128promethium-129promethium-130promethium-131promethium-132promethium-133promethium-133mpromethium-134promethium-134mpromethium-135promethium-135mpromethium-136promethium-136mpromethium-137promethium-137mpromethium-138promethium-138mpromethium-139promethium-139mpromethium-140promethium-140mpromethium-141promethium-141m1promethium-141m2promethium-142promethium-142mpromethium-143promethium-144promethium-144m1promethium-144m2promethium-148mpromethium-149mpromethium-152m1promethium-152m2promethium-154mpromethium-156promethium-157

+17

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Also registered as vr.tr.promethium

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Identify What promethium is.

Identity.

Properties

Properties.

Properties

Properties.

  1. What are the physical and chemical properties of promethium? definition
  2. Is the question about promethium or a neighbouring lanthanide? boundary

Isotopes

Isotopes.

Isotopes

Isotopes.

  1. Which isotopes exist, and which are longest-lived or useful? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific isotope? action
Source Occurrence and production.

Supply.

Occurrence

Occurrence.

Occurrence

Occurrence.

  1. Why is promethium absent from the crust, and where does it occur in trace amounts? provenance
  2. Which entry fits nuclear fission? action

Production

Production.

Production

Production.

  1. How is promethium produced and separated, and who produces it, with sources? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Use Uses and safety.

Application.

Uses

Uses.

Uses

Uses.

  1. How has promethium been used in luminous paint, nuclear batteries and gauges? provenance
  2. Which entry fits betavoltaic device? action

Safety

Radiation safety.

Safety

Safety.

  1. What radiation hazards does promethium present, and what rules apply? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about a personal exposure, which needs a specialist? boundary
Context History.

Context.

Discovery

Discovery.

Discovery

Discovery.

  1. How was promethium predicted, sought and finally identified in 1945, and how was it named? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Teach

Teaching.

Teach

Teaching.

  1. How is promethium used to teach nuclear stability and the lanthanides? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the periodic table? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should isotopes be separate entries?
  • How should reference data be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming isotopes; should they be split off?