Plutonium information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
 Plutonium is a Block F, Group 3, Period 7 element. The number of electrons in each of Plutonium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Rn] 5f6 7s2. In its elemental form plutonium's CAS number is 7440-07-5. The plutonium atom has a radius of 151.3.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm. Plutonium is radioactive and toxic.
Plutonium was discovered by Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin M. McMillan, J. W. Kennedy and A. C. Wahl in 1940. The element Plutonium was named after the planet Pluto.
 plutonium |
Plutonium |
 plutonio |
 Plutônio |
 plutonio |
Plutonium |
Plutonium Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of plutonium and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| Pu-239 |
239.052157 |
- |
| Pu-244 |
244.064198 |
- |
Plutonium Safety Data. The safety data for plutonium metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Plutonium compounds have no biological role.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for plutonium (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
581.44 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to plutonium's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured in terms of electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 150 µOcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.3. The thermal conductivity of plutonium is 6.74 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties of Plutonium. The melting point and boiling point for plutonium are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
2.8 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
343.5 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
348 kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for Plutonium
Plutonium uptake and behavior in vegetation of the desert southwest: A preliminary assessment.
Caldwell E, Duff M, Ferguson C, Coughlin D.
J Environ Monit. 2011 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21796316
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Plutonium uptake and distribution in mammalian cells: Molecular vs. polymeric plutonium.
Aryal BP, Gorman-Lewis D, Paunesku T, Wilson RE, Lai B, Vogt S, Woloschak GE, Jensen MP.
Int J Radiat Biol. 2011 Jul 19. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21770702
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Direct determination of the intracellular oxidation state of plutonium.
Gorman-Lewis D, Aryal BP, Paunesku T, Vogt S, Lai B, Woloschak GE, Jensen MP.
Inorg Chem. 2011 Aug 15;50(16):7591-7. Epub 2011 Jul 14.
PMID:
21755934
[PubMed - in process]
Oxidation State and Local Structure of Plutonium Reacted with Magnetite, Mackinawite, and Chukanovite.
Kirsch R, Fellhauer D, Altmaier M, Neck V, Rossberg A, Fangha¨nel T, Charlet L, Scheinost AC.
Environ Sci Technol. 2011 Aug 1. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21755920
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Potentiometric determination of free acidity in presence of hydrolysable ions and a sequential determination of hydrazine.
Ganesh S, Khan F, Ahmed MK, Pandey SK.
Talanta. 2011 Aug 15;85(2):958-63. Epub 2011 May 10.
PMID:
21726724
[PubMed - in process]
Perfluorinated phosphine oxide and sulfides as extractants for heavy metals and radionuclides.
Baker RJ, Fuchs J, Richards AJ, Ogilvie HV.
J Environ Manage. 2011 Oct;92(10):2781-5. Epub 2011 Jul 2.
PMID:
21723658
[PubMed - in process]
An analytical approach to ?-ray self-shielding effects for radioactive bodies encountered nuclear decommissioning scenarios.
Gamage KA, Joyce MJ.
Appl Radiat Isot. 2011 Oct;69(10):1521-32. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
PMID:
21723136
[PubMed - in process]
Rapid determination of 237np and plutonium isotopes in urine by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry and alpha spectrometry.
Maxwell SL, Culligan BK, Jones VD, Nichols ST, Noyes GW, Bernard MA.
Health Phys. 2011 Aug;101(2):180-6.
PMID:
21709507
[PubMed - in process]
An emergency bioassay method for actinides in urine.
Dai X, Kramer-Tremblay S.
Health Phys. 2011 Aug;101(2):144-7.
PMID:
21709501
[PubMed - in process]
An iron-dependent and transferrin-mediated cellular uptake pathway for plutonium.
Jensen MP, Gorman-Lewis D, Aryal B, Paunesku T, Vogt S, Rickert PG, Seifert S, Lai B, Woloschak GE, Soderholm L.
Nat Chem Biol. 2011 Jun 26;7(8):560-5. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.594.
PMID:
21706034
[PubMed - in process]
Uncertainties on Lung Doses from Inhaled Plutonium.
Puncher M, Birchall A, Bull RK.
Radiat Res. 2011 Jun 21. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21692652
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
[Structural genomic damages in workers of plutonium production].
Sotnik NV, Azizova TV, Osovets SV.
Radiats Biol Radioecol. 2011 Mar-Apr;51(2):213-7. Russian.
PMID:
21674947
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Combined application of alpha-track and fission-track techniques for detection of plutonium particles in environmental samples prior to isotopic measurement using thermo-ionization mass spectrometry.
Lee CG, Suzuki D, Esaka F, Magara M, Kimura T.
Talanta. 2011 Jul 15;85(1):644-9. Epub 2011 Apr 21.
PMID:
21645753
[PubMed - in process]
Structural periodicity in plutonium(IV) sulfates.
Wilson RE.
Inorg Chem. 2011 Jun 20;50(12):5663-70. Epub 2011 May 18.
PMID:
21591736
[PubMed - in process]
The inflow of (238)Pu and (239+240)Pu from the Vistula River catchment area to the Baltic Sea.
Skwarzec B, Jahnz-Bielawska A, Struminska-Parulska DI.
J Environ Radioact. 2011 Aug;102(8):728-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.03.017. Epub 2011 May 4.
PMID:
21543143
[PubMed - in process]
Gas-phase coordination complexes of dipositive plutonyl, PuO2(2+): chemical diversity across the actinyl series.
Rios D, Rutkowski PX, Van Stipdonk MJ, Gibson JK.
Inorg Chem. 2011 Jun 6;50(11):4781-90. Epub 2011 Apr 25.
PMID:
21517017
[PubMed - in process]
25 years after Chernobyl: lessons for Japan?
Moysich KB, McCarthy P, Hall P.
Lancet Oncol. 2011 May;12(5):416-8. Epub 2011 Apr 22. No abstract available.
PMID:
21514885
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS OF DOSES FROM INGESTION OF PLUTONIUM AND AMERICIUM.
Puncher M, Harrison JD.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2011 Apr 14. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
21498415
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Individual monitoring for internal contamination with plutonium compounds at JAEA-NCL.
Kurihara O, Kanai K.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2011;146(1-3):144-7. Epub 2011 Apr 14.
PMID:
21493601
[PubMed - in process]
Disposition of plutonium-239 via production of fission molybdenum-99.
Galiano E.
Appl Radiat Isot. 2011 Jul;69(7):1100. Epub 2011 Apr 1. No abstract available.
PMID:
21489810
[PubMed - in process] |
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