home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Name : Curium
- Symbol : Cm
- Atomic # : 96
- Atom weight: 247
- Melting P. : 1340
- Boiling P. :
- Oxidation : +3, +4
- Pronounced : KYOOR-i-em
- From : Named in honor of Pierre and Marie Curie
- Identified : Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James, and Albert Ghiorse in 1944
- Appearance : Silvery, malleable, synthetic radioactive metal
- Note : This element was discovered before the previous element,
- americium, element 95.
-
- [Properties]
-
- Curium has some characteristics that are similar to the rare-earth
- element, gadolinium. It is an actinide metal in Group VIII on the
- periodic table. Although there are presently no commercial applications
- for curium, there is some hope that it could be developed into a fuel for
- a portable, lightweight thermoelectric power generator; a sub-miniature
- atomic power plant, so to speak.
-