Description
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Ununbium is a synthetic element that is categorized as a transition metal. It is predicted to be a grey metallic colored liquid or possibly a colorless gas. The atomic weight of ununbium is 288, and the melting point and boiling points are not yet known. While not much is known about the chemical characteristic of ununbium, it is predicted to have similar chemical properties to mercury; for this reason ununbium is sometimes referred to as eka-mercury. There are no known commercial uses of ununbium at this time.
Isolation
Ununbium 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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Ununbium has only been synthesized a few times in its brief history. It is considered to be a super heavy element, and in the future with more studies it may be found to be more similar to a noble gas than a liquid like mercury. Ununbium was synthesized for the first time in 1996. During this time, it was produced using isotopic forms of zinc and lead; the procedure took place in a heavy ion accelerator. During the production of ununbium the nucleus of the isotope, number 70, of zinc was used to bombard a lead target composed of the nucleus of the isotope, number 208, of lead. This led to the production of an isotope of ununbium, number 277, and one neutron; only two nuclei of the ununbium were produced using this method. Ununbium was synthesized again in 2000, 2004, and 2006 in very minute quantities. Different isotopes of ununbium were confirmed before they quickly decayed.