Thulium

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Thulium

• M.K.
• Saturday, November 14, 2009

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• http//www.mlms.logan.k12.ut.us/mlowe/Thulium.htm
  l

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The essentials

• CAS Registry ID 7440-30-4
• Classification Metallic
• Group Name Lanthanoid
• Period Number 6 (lanthanoid)
• Block f-block

• Name thulium
• Symbol Tm
• Atomic Number 69
• Atomic Weight 168.93421
• http//www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/te
  xt/Tm/key.html

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Thulium Chips

• http//www.webelements.com/

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A picture of Thulium

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Facts

• The pure metal has a bright, silvery luster. It
  is reasonably stable in air, but the metal must
  be protected from moisture.
• As with other lanthanides, thulium has a
  low-to-moderate acute toxic rating. It should be
  handled with care.
• http//pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/69.html

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History

• Discovered in 1879 by Cleve
• 1985 the oxide sold for 3400/kg
• Thulium metal costs 50/g
• Because of the relatively high price of the
  metal, thulium has not yet found many practical
  applications.
• http//pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/69.html

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Atomic Structure

• Number of Energy Levels 6
• First Energy Level 2
• Second Energy Level 8
• Third Energy Level 18
• Fourth Energy Level 31
• Fifth Energy Level 8
• Sixth Energy Level 2
• http//www.chemicalelements.com/elements/tm.html

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Electron Configuration Information

• Ground state electron configuration 
  Xe.4f13.6s2
• Shell structure  2.8.18.31.8.2

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Isotopes

• Isotope Half Life
• Tm-168 93.1 days
• Tm-169 Stable
• Tm-170 128.6 days
• Tm-171 1.92 years
• Tm-172 2.65 days

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Information!

• Thulium is malleable (capable of being shaped or
  formed as by pressure) and can be cut with a
  knife. It is also ductile (capable of being drawn
  into wire or hammered thin).

• The boiling point is 1727 Celsius.
• Melting point for Thulium is 1545 Celsius.
• It is not fatally harmful to humans but has a
  low-to-moderate acute toxic rating and should be
  handled with care.
• http//www.sanjuan.edu/schools/arcade/Tm.html

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The rare-earths, including thulium, have very low
toxicity. However some lingering effects due to
the repeated intravenous injection have been
reported, including liver and spleen
degeneration, as well as fluctuations in the
hemoglobin concentration. The damages in the
liver due to the thulium ingestion (0,01 to 1 of
the diet) are more prominent in males rather than
females, according to experiences performed with
mice.
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Where it is found

• Thulium is found in the ores monazite sand and
  bastnsite ores containing small amounts of all
  the rare earth metals.

• Thulium is never found in nature as the free
  element.
• It is difficult to separate from other rare earth
  elements.
• http//www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/te
  xt/Tm/index.html

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Reactions
With AirThulium metal tarnishes slowly in air
and burns readily to form thulium (III) oxide,
Tm2O3. With waterThe silvery white metal thulium
is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with
cold water and quite quickly with hot water to
form thulium hydroxide, and hydrogen gas. With
the halogensThulium metal reacts with all the
halogens to form thulium(III) halides. So, it
reacts with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and
iodine, to form respectively thulium(III)
bromide, thulium(III) chloride, thulium(III)
bromide, and thulium(III) iodide. With
acidsThulium metal dissolves readily in dilute
sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the
pale green aquated Tm(III) ion together with
hydrogen gas.
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Facts

• Radioactive Thulium is used to power portable
  X-ray machines which eliminates the need for
  electrical equipment and microwaves.
• It has 25 known isotopes with atomic masses
  ranging from 152 to 176.
• There are 100 neutrons in Thulium.
• There are 69 electrons and protons.

• Its name origin is from Thule which is the
  earliest name for Scandinavia.
• Thulium is found in small quantities along with
  other rare earths in a number of minerals and it
  can be commercially obtained from the minerals.

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Uses

• 169Tm bombarded in a nuclear reactor can be used
  as a radiation source in portable X-ray equipment
  
• alloys

• Natural thulium has possible use in ferrites
  (ceramic magnetic materials) used in microwave
  equipment
• http//www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/te
  xt/Tm/uses.html