Definition

Technetium is the lightest chemical component with no stable isotope, and therefore the lightest radioactive element. It is a artificial element with the atomic number 43 and is given with the symbol Tc. The chemical properties of this silvery grey, crystalline transition metal are halfway between rhenium and manganese. Its short-lived gamma-emitting nuclear isomer Tc is used in nuclear medicine for a wide variety of diagnostic tests. Tc is used as a gamma ray-free source of beta particles.

Properties

Technetium is a silvery-grey radioactive metal with an exterior similar to platinum. However, it is normally obtained as a grey powder. Its position in the group 7 of the periodic table is between rhenium and manganese and as predicted by the periodic law its properties are intermediate between those two elements.

Application

Technetium is used in radioactive isotope medical tests, for example as a radioactive tracer that medical equipment can notice in the human body. It is well suited to the role because it emits readily detectable 140 keV gamma rays, and its half-life is 6.01 hours.Klaus Schwochau's book Technetium lists 31 radiopharmaceuticals based on 99mTc for imaging and functional studies of the brain, myocardium, thyroid, lungs, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, skeleton, blood, and tumors.

Mining

Metals

Minerals

Precious Stones