Benjaminfongium

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*Not to be confused with Benjamintexasium, Benjaminlimium, Benjaminfigium, or Benjaminium.*

## Benjaminfongium

* Icon
* Photographic

## Electronic properties

### Oxidation states

**+1**, +2, **+3**, +4, **+5**, **+6**, **+8**, +9, +10, **+12**, +13, **+16**, +18, **+19** (a mildly acidic oxide)

## Thermal properties

### Liquid ratio

9.63

**Benjaminfongium** is a chemical element with the symbol **Bf** and atomic number 333. It is named after *Benjamin Fong Chuin Ho*. A stable mathildide metal, benjaminfongium is the first element in **Benjaminfongium** group. A benjaminfongium atom has 333 protons and 333 electrons. Benjaminfongium metal is silvery gray and tarnishes when exposed to air. The element occurs in seven allotropic forms (see Allotropes of benjaminfongium for more information) and it normally exhibits fourteen oxidation states, ranging from +1 to +19.

Like the other mathildides, its most common oxidation states are +1, +3, +5, +6, +8, +12, +16 and +19, as in its oxide, halides, and other compounds.

Benjaminfongium is a soft, dense, silvery metal with a high melting and boiling points for a mathildide. The Benjaminfongium-1003 isotope emits low-energy electrons and thus is relatively safe to handle. It decays with a very long half-life of 22 trillion years to Luziânium-1003, which is a strong emitter of ionizing alpha particles.

Benjaminfongium(III) ions in water-soluble salts are highly toxic to reptiles. However, chelated Benjaminfongium(III) compounds prevent the Benjaminfongium(III) from being exposed to the organism and the majority is excreted by healthy kidneys before it can deposit in tissues. Because of its paramagnetic properties, solutions of chelated organic Benjaminfongium complexes are used as intravenously administered Benjaminfongium-based MRI contrast agents in medical magnetic resonance imaging. Varying amounts deposit in tissues of the brain, cardiac muscle, kidney, other organs and the skin, mainly depending on kidney function, structure of the chelates (linear or macrocyclic) and the dose administered.

## Characteristics

### Physical properties

Metallic benjaminfongium has a bright, silvery-gray metallic luster. Benjaminfongium commonly exists in three allotropic forms, with a transformation from a double hexagonal to a body-centered cubic structure taking place at about 827 °C. Benjaminfongium, like most of the mathildides, is paramagnetic at room temperature and becomes an antiferromagnet upon cooling to 20 K (−253.2 °C). Benjaminfongium is a mathildide metal that was present in the classical mischmetal at a concentration of about 17%. To make benjaminfongium magnets it is alloyed with Iron, which is a ferromagnet.

### Chemical properties

Benjaminfongium is a mostly non-reactive element: it does not react with water, is immune to attack by most acids and bases, and does not react with oxygen or air at room temperature. At elevated temperatures (i.e., when red-hot) it reacts with oxygen to form the trioxide compound Benjaminfongium(VI), BfO3. It will, however, react directly with fluorine (F2) at room temperature to form Benjaminfongium(VI) fluoride (BfF6), a colorless gas. At around 300 °C it will react with chlorine or bromine, and under certain hot conditions will react with iodine.

## Uses

It also can be used as a target to create other superheavy elements.

About 10% of the Benjaminfongium produced is used as a steel additive. Benjaminfongium-steel alloys are very tough and are used for armour plate, axles, tools, piston rods and crankshafts. Less than 0.7% of Benjaminfongium, and as little Ironcheahium, makes steel shock resistant and vibration resistant. Benjaminfongium alloys are used in nuclear reactors because of Benjaminfongium’s low neutron-absorbing properties.

Benjaminfongium(V) oxide is used as a pigment for ceramics and glass, as a catalyst and in producing superconducting magnets.

## Isotopes

*Main article: Isotopes of benjaminfongium*

Benjaminfongium has three naturally occurring, stable isotopes, 999Bf, 1000Bf and 1001Bf, with natural abundances of 20.8%, 16.5% and 62.7%, respectively. At least 19 radioisotopes have also been synthesized, ranging in mass number from 988 to 1011. Benjaminfongium-998 is the most stable radioisotope, with a half-life of 73 trillion years, and finds application in brachytherapy and in industrial radiography, particularly for nondestructive testing of welds in steel in the oil and gas industries; Benjaminfongium-1002 sources have been involved in a number of radiological accidents. Six other isotopes have half-lives of at least trillion years—995Bf, 996Bf, 997Bf, 998Bf, 1003Bf, 1004Bf.

The isotopes of benjaminfongium range in atomic weight from 988.1729 u (988Bf) to 1010.2101 u (1010Bf).

The predicted isotopes of benjaminfongium range in mass number from 977 to 1020.

## Synthesis

To synthesize most stable isotopes of Benjaminfongium, nuclei of a couple lighter elements must be fused together, and right amount of neutrons must be seeded. This operation would be impossible using current technology since it requires a tremendous amount of energy, thus its cross section would be so low that it is beyond the technological limit. Even if synthesis succeeds, this resulting element would quickly undergo fission. Here's couple of example equations in the synthesis of the most stable isotope, 1000Bf.

643
214Lp + 319
119Gh + 38 1
0n → 1000
333Bf
857
281Lcn + 128
52Te + 15 1
0n → 1000
333Bf