Description
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Ununquadium is a synthetic element that is predicted to be a poor metal. It is also presumed to have a silver or metallic grey color in its solid state; whether it is really a solid or not has yet to be confirmed. Ununquadium has an atomic weight of 298, and the melting and boiling points are as of yet unknown. While not much is known about this element, it has been predicted to have chemical traits similar to lead; for this reason it is sometimes referred to as eka-lead.
Isolation
Ununquadium does not exist in nature in any form. This element can only be synthesized in minute amounts using specialized equipment and procedures.
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Ununquadium has only been synthesized a few times in its short history. So far, the element has been produced in such tiny quantities that it has not been possible to even measure what has been produced. Ununquadium was first discovered in 1998 and was quickly synthesized a few months after its discovery. It was synthesized again in 2004 and 2006. The synthesis process used isotopic formed of plutonium and calcium to create ununquadium. During the procedure, plutonium, isotope number 242 and 244, was used as a target which was bombarded with ion beams composed of the isotope, number 48, of calcium. The results of the process were two isotopic forms of ununquadium, numbers 287 and 289, and 6 neutrons. All of the isotopes of ununquadium that have been produced underwent spontaneous fission in less than .0012 milliseconds. The rapid decay, or spontaneous fission, of ununquadium has prevented further research into the chemical nature and traits of the element.