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Periodic Table of Elements

Element Plutonium - Pu

Comprehensive data on the chemical element Plutonium is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Plutonium. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. In addition technical terms are linked to their definitions and the menu contains links to related articles that are a great aid in one's studies.

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Overview of Plutonium

Plutonium's Name in Other Languages

  • Latin: Plutonium
  • Czech: Plutonium
  • Croatian: Plutonij
  • French: Plutonium
  • German: Plutonium - s
  • Italian: Plutonio
  • Norwegian: Plutonium
  • Portuguese: Plutônio
  • Russian: Плутоний
  • Spanish: Plutonio
  • Swedish: Plutonium

Atomic Structure of Plutonium

Chemical Properties of Plutonium

Physical Properties of Plutonium

Regulatory / Health

  • CAS Number
    • 7440-07-5
  • NFPA 704
    • Health:
    • Fire:
    • Reactivity:
    • Special Hazard: Radioactive<
    • OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
      • No limits set by OSHA
    • OSHA PEL Vacated 1989
      • No limits set by OSHA
    • NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)
      • No limits set by NIOSH
    • Levels In Humans:
      Note: this data represents naturally occuring levels of elements in the typical human, it DOES NOT represent recommended daily allowances.
      • Blood/mg dm-3: nil
      • Bone/p.p.m: nil
      • Liver/p.p.m: nil
      • Muscle/p.p.m: nil
      • Daily Dietary Intake: nil
      • Total Mass In Avg. 70kg human: nil

    Who / Where / When / How

    • Discoverer: G.T.Seaborg, A.C.Wohl and J.W.Kennedy
    • Discovery Location: Berkeley California United States
    • Discovery Year: 1940
    • Name Origin:
      From planet Pluto.
    • Abundance of Plutonium:
      • Earth's Crust/p.p.m.: N/A
      • Seawater/p.p.m.: nil
      • Atmosphere/p.p.m.: N/A
      • Sun (Relative to H=1E12): N/A
    • Sources of Plutonium:
      Found rarely in some uranium ores. Made by bombarding uranium with neutrons. Annual world wide production is around 20 tons. World reserves are around 500 tons.
    • Uses of Plutonium:
      Used in bombs and power reactors.
    • Additional Notes:

      Most people will not normally encounter plutonium outside of a laboratory or the nuclear industry. Plutonium is highly toxic because of its radioactivity. In 1970 Dr. Darleane C. Hoffman discovered traces of naturally occuring primordial plutonium-244 in Precambrian bastnasite from Mountain Pass, Califorina, USA.

      Aditional references sources for this element:

      • D. C. Hoffman, F. O. Lawrence, J. L. Mewherter & F. M. Rourke, "Detection of Plutonium-244 in Nature", Nature 234, 132 - 134 (19 November 1971), Available at: http://www.nature.com/nature/
        journal/v234/n5325/abs/234132a0.html
      • Los Alamos Summer 1983, "Darleane Christian Hoffman", accessed online 8/1/2006 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/
        doe/lanl/pubs/00285788.pdf
      • Lynn Yarris, "Chemists Award Darleane Hoffman Highest Honor in Their Field", Science Beat, Berkeley Labs, 6/19/2000, Accessed on line 8/1/2006 at: http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/
        Archive/hoffman-priestley.html

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    References

    A list of reference sources used to compile the data provided on our periodic table of elements can be found on the main periodic table page.

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