Element Facts
SYMBOL
Cm
ATOMIC NO.
96
ATOMIC WEIGHT
247
CATEGORY
Actinide
PERIOD
Period 7
GROUP
Group 3
History
Curium was synthesised in 1944 by Glenn Seaborg, Ralph James, and Albert Ghiorso at the Metallurgical Laboratory, Chicago, by bombarding plutonium-239 with alpha particles. Named after Pierre and Marie Curie in recognition of their pioneering research on radioactivity. The discovery was revealed on the same 1945 radio broadcast as americium, with Seaborg announcing it to a surprised children’s audience.
Uses Today
Curium-244 is the radiation source in Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instruments on NASA Mars rovers — Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity have all used this technology to analyse the composition of Martian rocks and soils. Curium is one of the few synthetic elements with a real-world practical application beyond nuclear research.
Why We Don't Buy It
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Curium:
Curium is an intensely radioactive transuranic actinide produced and handled exclusively in licensed nuclear facilities. It generates significant radioactive heat and presents severe radiation hazards. It is subject to international nuclear safeguards and UK nuclear security regulations. No scrap trade exists.
Value & Pricing
No commercial market. Curium is produced in microgram quantities in research reactors at a cost of millions of pounds per gram. Available only to licensed nuclear research facilities.