The Element Neptunium

Named after the planet Neptune; Neptunium is known to be silvery in appearance while being fairy chemically reactive. It can be found in at least three structural modifications such as alpha-neptunium, beta-neptunium and gamma-neptunium. Very little amounts of neptunium are found naturally as decay products from transmutation reactions in uranium ores.

Common uses of neptunium include as a precursor in Plutonium-238 production and in application to various types of nuclear weaponary.

 


Atomic Number & Chemical Properties


Element Basics:

Chemical Symbol: Np
Atomic Number: 93
Atomic Weight: 237.048
Element Classification: Radioactive Rare Earth Element (Actinide Series)
Discovered By: E.M. McMillan, P.H. Abelson
Date of Discovery: 1940 (United States)
Origin of Name: Named for the planet Neptune.

How to Recognize it at a Party:

Silvery metal

Seriously Atomic Information:

Density (g/cc): 20.25
Melting Point (°K): 913
Boiling Point (°K): 4175
Atomic Radius (pm): 130
Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 21.1
Covalent Radius (pm): n/a
Ionic Radius: 95 (+4e) 110 (+3e)
Pauling Negativity Number: 1.36
First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): n/a
Oxidation States: 6, 5, 4, 3
Electronic Configuration: [Rn] 5f4 6d1 7s2

Getting Intimate with Neptunium:

Lattice Structure: Orthorhombic (ORC)
Lattice Constant (Å): 4.720
Lattice C/A Ratio: n/a
Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): n/a
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): (9.6)
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 336
Thermal Conductivity (@25°C W/m K):
Debye Temperature (°K): n/a


Society's Questions About Neptunium:

Have you ever wondered what everyone else in the world thinks about Neptunium? Is anyone else looking for it too? If so, why? What do they want?

The following list shows the most common online questions about the element Neptunium. Are your questions the same or different from everyone else's?

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