Neptunium
⚛️ In Your World
Neptunium is the first transuranic element (heavier than uranium) and is highly radioactive. It has very few uses outside of research. It can be used in devices to detect high-energy neutrons. More significantly, it is a key precursor in the production of plutonium-238, which is used as a long-lived power source for deep-space probes and rovers like the Curiosity rover on Mars.
📖 The Discovery Story
Neptunium was first produced by Edwin McMillan and Philip H. Abelson in 1940 at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory in California. They created it by bombarding uranium with slow neutrons in a particle accelerator. They named the new element "neptunium" after the planet Neptune, as it is the next element beyond uranium, which was named for the planet Uranus.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 639 °C / 1182 °F |
| Boiling Point | 4174 °C / 7545 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Rn] 5f⁴6d¹7s² |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | Trace amounts |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Neptunium is highly radioactive and toxic. It poses a significant radiological hazard. If ingested, it accumulates in the bones, and its radiation can cause cancer. It must be handled with extreme care in specialized glove boxes within a secure nuclear facility.