Description
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Roentgenium is a synthetic element that is a transition metal. It is predicted to be a yellow or orange metallic color in its predicted solid state. Roentgenium has an atomic weight of 284, and the melting points and boiling points are not yet known. It is considered to be one of the super heavy atoms, but many of its chemical traits and characteristics are unknown. There are no commercial uses, or predicted commercial uses, for roentgenium. This element was previously called unununium.
Isolation
Roentgenium does not exist in nature in any type of form. This element can only be synthesized in minute quantities using specialized equipment and procedures.
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Only a few atoms of the element have ever been produced, and scientific research on this element is hindered by the extreme short half lives of its isotopic forms. The most stable isotope of roentgenium, number 280, has a half life of only 3.6 seconds. Eleven other isotopic forms of roentgenium are known, and they have half lives that are measured in milliseconds.
Roentgenium was not synthesized until 1994. At this time, three atoms were created using the elements bismuth and nickel. During the procedure, bismuth and nickel underwent a fusion reaction in a linear accelerator; the bismuth isotope, number 209, served as the target which was bombarded by nickel isotopes, number 64, to produce the isotope of roentgenium, number 272, and one neutron. From its brief existence, it was predicted to have some chemical properties similar to gold, and therefore it is sometimes called eka-gold.