Americium belongs to the actinide series of the periodic table. It is a silvery metal that does not occur in nature and is synthesized artificially. Americium is produced by reducing Americium Fluoride or Barium Americium Oxide with Lanthanum. This element is also obtained as an output of Plutonium decay.

Americium is a radioactive element that tarnishes on exposure to air. It reacts with air, steam, and acids.

Americium is used to create flat glass. Few common isotopes of Americium and their uses are as follows

• Americium-241: As a source of ionizing radiation in smoke detectors.

• Americium-242: In radiography as a gamma ray source and in neutron radiography as a neutron emitter.

Element Properties

Periodic Table