Caesium

Caesium

Caesium

Caesium metal is an alkali metal that is the softest of all metal. Ordinarily, it is in the state of liquid like mercury and is very ductile. The color of caesium is a silvery-white color.

Chemical Properties

Caesium reacts very quickly to oxygen. It also reacts very explosively when in contact with water and reacts with ice at temperatures above 116K(5). When caesium reacts with water, hydrogen gas is released and is very flammable as a result of the reaction. Due to caesiusm's quick reaction, caesium must be stored in a dry, inert atmosphere or in oil. Caesium is the most electropositive and the most alkaline element than any other elements on the periodic table. There are 55 electrons, 55 protons, and 78 neutrons. Caesium has a tendency to lose one electrion producing a +1 ion.

Where is it found

There is about 1 to 3 parts per million of caesium in the Earth's crust(4). Pollucites and lepidolites (lithium ore) are minerals that contain caesium. With these minerals, caesium can be gathered through an extraction process. Great quantities of pollucites are in Lake Bernic in Manitoba, Canada and parts of the US(5). There is an estimate of 300,000 tons of pollucites in Lake Bernic and about 20% caesium can be extracted from that many pollucites(2). Small quantities of caesium can also be found in boron minerals called rhodizite. Even though caesium can be extracted from pollucites, lepidolites, and rhodizites, most commercial caesium are produced as the by-product of lithium production. Caesium can also be obtained by making a reaction occur between caesium chloride and metallic sodium (Charrier, 2006). The chlorine in the caesium chloride will bond with the sodium, leaving only caesium. The reaction is expressed in this equation: Na+CsCl ==> Cs+NaCl(6). Two more reactions that can obtain caesium is the reaction between ...