science · 16 November 1945 · 79 years ago
In 1945, two newly discovered elements were announced: americium (atomic number 95) and curium (atomic number 96).*Americium, named after the Americas, can be produced from intense neutron irradiation of pure plutonium. Problems involved in the extraction of americium include the recovery of the expensive starting material and the removal of hazardous fission products that are formed simultaneously in amounts comparable to the amounts of the element itself. It was discovered by Glenn Seaborg, James, Morgan and Albert Ghiorso in Chicago, U.S.A. It is used as a portable source for gamma radiography, and in smoke detectors. Curium, a byproduct of americium, was named in honour of Pierre and Marie Curie.
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