Element 113 · Post-Transition Metal
Nihonium
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Nh
ATOMIC NO.
113
ATOMIC WEIGHT
286
CATEGORY
Post-Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 7
GROUP
Group 13
History
Nihonium was first reliably synthesised between 2004 and 2012 at RIKEN Nishina Center in Saitama, Japan, by a team led by Kōsuke Morita, by bombarding bismuth-209 with zinc-70 ions. Over nine years of experiments, the team confirmed just three synthesis events — the most painstaking element discovery in history. Named nihonium in 2016 from “Nihon” or “Nippon” (Japanese for Japan), making it the first element discovered in Asia and the first to be named in Japanese.
Uses Today
Nihonium has no practical applications. Only about 3 confirmed atoms were produced across nearly a decade of experimentation. It is studied purely for theoretical nuclear physics and to understand the properties of superheavy elements.
Why We Don't Buy It
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Nihonium:
Nihonium’s most stable known isotope has a half-life of approximately 20 seconds. The element exists only momentarily as individual atoms in particle accelerators. No commercial application or scrap trade is possible.
Value & Pricing
No commercial market. The entire nihonium discovery programme at RIKEN required nearly 10 years of experiments and billions of yen of accelerator time to confirm three atoms.