The element with atomic number 108 is Hassium, and it is commonly associated with the synthetic chemical element group. It is named after a German state, Hesse. Discovered in 1984 by a joint effort between German and Soviet scientists, it is the last naturally occurring element to be discovered.
Hassium is believed to be a soft, silvery-golden nonmetal which sublimes into a vapor at high temperatures, assuming the form of hexagonal crystals. It is also very reactive, reacting with oxygen and other nonmetals upon contact. As such, hassium only exists in trace amounts on Earth as it has a very short half-life of around 1 second.
Isotopes of hassium, on the other hand, can last much longer. The most stable hahnium-270 has a half-life of 12 minutes, while hassium-269 has a half-life of 17.6 seconds. However, very little is known about the physical and chemical properties of hassium due to its volatile nature.
One thing that is known about hassium is its high percentage of isotopes with higher mass than itself. Due to its synthesized nature, it has very few isotopes with lower mass. That is why hassium is primarily obtained through the reaction of curium with bismuth, or through the bombardment of lead-208 with nickel-58.
Due to its short half-life, hassium cannot be stored in any form. This compound exists only in the form of its isotopes, which can exist as long as they are within a safe and properly controlled environment. As such, they can only be studied and analyzed while they are in an active state.
Hassium is also used in nuclear research and technology, due to its relatively long half-life and its large number of isotopes. It can be used to study the properties of atomic nuclei as well as for nuclear medicine and as radiation shielding material.
Hassium, though relatively unknown, does serve some purpose and is important in the study of nuclear physics. Its short half-life, though a nuisance, allows us to study the properties of this element, enabling us to better understand our nuclear world.
