Element Facts
SYMBOL
Ds
ATOMIC NO.
110
ATOMIC WEIGHT
281
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 7
GROUP
Group 10
Historical Uses
Darmstadtium was first synthesised in 1994 at GSI Darmstadt by Sigurd Hofmann, Victor Ninov, and colleagues, by bombarding lead-208 with nickel-62 ions. Named after Darmstadt — the city in Germany where GSI is located — confirmed by IUPAC in 2003. It was the second superheavy element to be synthesised at GSI in 1994 (alongside roentgenium), both in the same experimental campaign.
Current Uses
Darmstadtium has no practical applications. Only a few atoms have ever been produced, each surviving for milliseconds to seconds. It is studied purely for theoretical nuclear physics.
Not Commercially Viable for Scrap
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Darmstadtium:
Darmstadtium’s most stable isotope has a half-life of approximately 11 seconds. It exists as individual atoms for a fraction of a second in particle accelerators. No commercial application or scrap trade is possible.
Price Context
No commercial market. Cannot be produced in any measurable quantity.