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Encyclopedia of Geochemistry pp 1Cite as

Astatine

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

FormalPara Element Data

Atomic Symbol: At

Atomic Number: 85

Atomic Weight: (210)

Isotopes (radioactive): 210At, (t1/2 = 8.1 h), 211At, (t1/2 = 7.2 h)

1 Atm Melting Point: 575 K (estimate)

1 Atm Boiling Point: 610 K (estimate)

Common Valences: +5, +1, −1

Ionic Radii: (+V) 57, (−I) 227 ppm

Pauling Electronegativity: 2.2

First Ionization Potential: 899.0 kJ/mol

Chondritic (CI) Abundance:

Silicate Earth Abundance:

Crustal Abundance: trace amount in some minerals

Seawater Abundance: −

Core Abundance:

Properties

Astatine (Emsley 1991, 2001) is a reactive, radioactive nonmetal element which resembles iodine. The properties of astatine are not well established. It has been not extensively studied because all its isotopes have short half-lives. Much of what is known about astatine has been estimated from its position in the periodic table, below iodine, and by studying its chemistry in extremely dilute solutions.

History and Use

In 1931 a group of chemists led by Fred Allison reported that they...

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References

  • Emsley, J., 1991. The Elements, 2nd edn. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

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  • Emsley, J., 2001. Nature’s Building Blocks An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0336, USA

    Monica Vasiliu & David A. Dixon

Authors
  1. Monica Vasiliu
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  2. David A. Dixon
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Monica Vasiliu or David A. Dixon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Cornell University Department of Earth, Ithaca, New York, USA

    William M. White

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Vasiliu, M., Dixon, D.A. (2016). Astatine. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_354-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_354-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39193-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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