Samarium is a member of the lanthanide group and is found in nature in a solid state. Its boiling point is 2076 degrees Kelvin and its melting point is 1345 degrees Kelvin.
This element is located in period 6 of the periodic table and its electron configuration is Xe 6s24f6. Its 62 electrons are distributed as follows: 2 electrons in the first layer, 8 in the second, it has 18 in the third, 24 correspond to the fourth, in the fifth it has 8 and in layer six it has 2 electrons.
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Electron configuration of samarium
According to their Electron configuration, these are distributed as follows:
- 2 electrons orbiting 1s
- 2 electrons in 2s orbit
- 6 electrons in 2p orbit
- 2 electrons in 3s orbit
- 6 electrons in 3p orbit
- 10 electrons in 3d orbit
- 2 electrons in 4s orbit
- 6 electrons in 4p orbit
- 10 electrons in 4d orbit
- 2 electrons orbiting 5s
- 6 electrons in 5p orbit
- 6 electrons orbiting 4f
- 0electrons in 5d orbit
- 2 electrons in 6s orbit
Samarium isotopes
Samarium is made up of a total of five stable isotopes, which are 144Sm, 149Sm, 150Sm, 152Sm, and 154Sm. In addition, it has two radioisotopes that have a fairly long lifespan, these are 147Sm, whose half-life is 1.06×1011, and 148Sm, whose half-life is 7 ×1015y). Of all, the most abundant is 152Sm with 26.7%.
Isotopes of this element are used in samarium-neodymium dating to find out age relationships between meteorites and rocks.
samarium applications
- Samarium oxide is used in optics because it absorbs infrared light. The 153 isotope of this element is used with strontium 89 in palliative radiotherapy to minimize pain in patients in the terminal phase of the disease.
- The SmCo5 alloy was used to construct the strongest known magnetic material. Along with the other strange earths, it is used as in the carbon ark to project movies. It is used in dehydration as a catalyst and also for the dehydrogenation of ethanol.
Effect of samarium on health
This rare chemical element is found in Electron equipment such as color televisions, as well as in glass and fluorescent lamps. It is very rarely found in nature, as it only occurs in very small quantities.
Its use is constantly increasing, as it is very useful for the production of catalysts and polishing crystals, widely used in the world.
It poses a great danger in the working environment, since it is possible that moisture and gases are inhaled with the air, which, in turn, causes blisters in the lungs, especially in case of long-term exposure. Moreover, in the human body, it is possible that it affects the liver after its accumulation.
Effect of samarium on the environment
This chemical element reaches the environment in many places, mainly through the petroleum industry. Moreover, it does this when household equipment is thrown into a certain space. It gradually accumulates in soil water and soils, a situation that eventually increases the concentration in soil particles and in animals and humans.
In the case of aquatic animals, their presence can cause damage to cell membranes, which represents significant damage to their reproduction as well as to the functioning of their nervous system.
The elements that are related to samarium, either because of the period in which they are found, or because of the group of location, or because of the proximity of their number of atoms, are protactinium, plutonium, thorium and neptunium.
