- On sale!
Acrylic cube Protactinium
As protactinium is radioactive this 50x50x50mm acrylic cube contains only the "radioactive sign". The cube contains NO radioactive material. Start your collection of the 118 elements in decorative acrylic cubes now!
Protactinium, with the chemical symbol Pa and atomic number 91, is a fascinating and rare chemical element discovered in 1913. German scientists Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner made the discovery when bombarding uranium with neutrons, leading to the identification of the short-lived isotope Protactinium-234. The name "Protactinium" is derived from the Greek word "protos," meaning "the first," reflecting its position in the decay process of uranium-235.
Protactinium exists on Earth in trace amounts, primarily as a decay product of uranium. Due to its rarity and radioactive nature, it has limited applications. It was previously used in nuclear reactors as a neutron source. The key Protactinium isotopes are Protactinium-231 and Protactinium-233. Protactinium-231 has a half-life of about 32,760 years, while Protactinium-233 has a half-life of approximately 27 days.