Californium is a synthetic, radioactive element not found in nature. It is an actinide: one of 15 radioactive, metallic elements found at the bottom of the periodic table.
As an exclusively synthetically made element (it cannot be found in nature), californium-252 is very rare and is produced via neutron bombardment in high flux isotope reactors or particle accelerators.
It is used in portable metal detectors, for identifying gold and silver ores, to identify water and oil layers in oil wells and to detect metal fatigue and stress in aeroplanes. Californium has no known biological role. It is toxic due to its radioactivity.
Why is californium so expensive? There's not a lot of it around. It doesn't exist in nature and has to be made in laboratories, where scientists can only make small amounts at a time. After it was first discovered, it took ten years before scientists made enough californium for them to be able to weigh it!
One gram is $27 million - PLACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE: What is californium? / Exalted Mind, VİDEO 004
How common is californium on earth?
Estimates suggest that there are only about 25 grams of californium naturally occurring in the Earth's crust at any given time. Most of the californium available today is produced in nuclear reactors and particle accelerators for research and various applications, such as in neutron sources and medical treatments.
The element is most dangerous if taken into the body. In addition, californium-249 and californium-251 can cause tissue damage externally, through gamma ray emission. Ionizing radiation emitted by californium on bone and in the liver can cause cancer.
The most expensive natural element is francium, but it decays so quickly it can't be collected to be sold. If you could buy it, you'd pay billions of dollars for 100 grams. The most expensive natural element that is stable enough to purchase is lutetium. If you order 100 grams of lutetium, it will cost about $10,000.
Californium was discovered in 1950 by a team consisting of Glenn Seaborg, Albert Ghiorso, Kenneth Street and Stanley G. Thompson at the University of California while performing an experiment of bombarding curium-242 with alpha-particles using a 60-inch cyclotron.
The easiest way to test the original californium is by using a bulb or a tester. Place the bulb on the californium stone it will show light then apply the same method on a tester crew driver the bottom of the screwdriver tester will show light if placed properly on the californium stone.
Several other isotopes, such as curium (Cm) and californium (Cf), can be used to make nuclear explosives. However, these isotopes are too rare, particularly in separated form, or too radioactive to be considered as realistic materials for nuclear explosives for at least several decades.
At present, the only countries capable of producing californium are the United States of America and Russia. In the US, californium is produced at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In Russia, californium is produced at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors.
Since then, only a limited quantity, measured in grams, has been successfully produced. The estimated cost for one gram of californium stands at approximately $27 million, a figure that aligns with the global production rate of half a gram annually.
Californium's radioactive properties make it useful in several specialised fields. It's primary applications include starting nuclear reactors, optimising coal power plants, and treating certain cancers. It is also used in radiography, gold prospecting, and as a neutron source in various industrial applications.
Imagine a rare and powerful substance, its price per gram eclipses that of diamonds, gold, or even platinum. Welcome to the world of Californium-252, a marvel of modern science. Discovered in 1950, Californium-252 is a synthetic element; you read that correctly; it is synthetic and not naturally found on Earth.
The only countries capable of producing Californium are the United States of America and Russia. In the US, californium is produced at the Oak Ridge National Library in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In Russia, californium is produced at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors.
Throughout the world, there are only a few grams of californium in existence. It is a highly unstable element, meaning that much of the californium produced each year will undergo nuclear decay. Each year, only a half-gram of californium is produced.
Where is californium found? Californium is a man-made element and so is not found in nature. Californium was first produced in 1950, at the University of California, Berkeley.
The easiest way to test the original californium is by using a bulb or a tester. Place the bulb on the californium stone it will show light then apply the same method on a tester crew driver the bottom of the screwdriver tester will show light if placed properly on the californium stone.
The pure metal is silvery-white, malleable and so soft it can be easily sliced with a razor blade. Californium is moderately chemically reactive. It slowly tarnishes in air at room temperature — small pieces or foils of the metal begin to oxidize, but not violently.
