On This Day – Sep 13 : Americium was made

Image

This radioactive metal was first produced by B.B. Cunningham and L.B. Werner. Most americium is produced by bombarding uranium (U) or plutonium (Pu) with alpha particles – one tonne of spent nuclear fuel contains about 100 grams of americium. It has few uses other than in smoke alarms.

Make your lessons pop

Choose an account option to continue exploring our full range of articles and teaching resources

Free

Free access for everyone, everywhere. If you only need a few resources, start here.


What's included

  • One free teaching resource each month
  • Five free Education in Chemistry articles each month
  • Personalised email alerts and bookmarks