Thallium Facts
Thallium Facts
|
| Interesting Thallium Facts: |
|---|
| Thallium was discovered by two scientists independently of each other, William Crookes and Claude-Auguste Lamy, in 1861. |
| It was found as a byproduct of sulfuric acid manufacturing. |
| Both scientists discovered it by using the then-newly created flame spectroscopy method. |
| For several years after its discovery, thallium was considered to be an alkali metal due to its oxidation state. |
| While thallium salts have high levels of toxicity and were used in rat and insect poisons, thallium actually plays a role in nuclear medicine. |
| This toxicity actually gave thallium historic importance as a murder weapon, earning the nickname "inheritance powder." |
| Thallium is soft and malleable enough to be cut with an ordinary knife at room temperature. |
| Thallium is typically very lustrous, but tarnishes very quickly in the presence of oxygen. |
| The layer of oxidation builds up with a blue-grayish color, causing thallium to resemble lead. |
| Thallium is stored in mineral oils to prevent the oxidation and discoloration. |
| There are twenty-five known isotopes of thallium, but only two are considered stable. |
| The most stable radioactive isotope of thallium has a half-life of only 3.78 years. |
| Thallium's occurrance on Earth is thought to be fairly abundant, with a concentration in the planet's crust of around 0.7 milligrams per kilogram. |
| Thallium is found in the main minerals, crookesite, hutchinsonite, and lorandite. |
| It occurs as a trace element in other minerals, especially iron pyrite, from which it is extracted to manufacture sulfuric acid. |
| Despite its poisonous property, thallium was used as a treatment for ringworm and other dermatological infections, as well as in treating side effects of tuberculosis. |
| Around 70% of the annual global production of thallium is used by the electronics industry. |
| Most of the remaining thallium each year is used by the pharmaceutical industry for nuclear medicine, and by the glass industry. |
|
Related Links: Facts Periodic Table Facts Animals Facts |