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Technetium (abbreviation Tc, atomic number 43) is the first of the two elements in the first 82 that have no
stable isotopes (all are radioactive); the other such element is promethium.
[1]
It is primarily artificial, only trace
quantities existing in nature produced by spontaneous fission or neutron capture by molybdenum. The first
isotopes to be synthesized were
97
Tc and
99
Tc in 1936, the first artificial element to be produced. The most
stable radioisotopes are
98
Tc (half-life of 4.2 million years),
97
Tc (half-life: 2.6 million years) and
99
Tc (half-life:
211.1 thousand years).
[2]
Thirty-three other radioisotopes have been characterized with atomic masses ranging from
85
Tc to
120
Tc.
[3]
Most of these have half-lives that are less than an hour; the exceptions are
93
Tc (half-life: 2.75 hours),
94
Tc
(half-life: 4.883 hours),
95
Tc (half-life: 20 hours), and
96
Tc (half-life: 4.28 days).
[2]
Technetium also has numerous meta states.
97m
Tc is the most stable, with a half-life of 90.1 days (0.097 MeV).
This is followed by
95m
Tc (half-life: 61 days, 0.038 MeV), and
99m
Tc (half-life: 6.01 hours, 0.143 MeV).
99m
Tc
only emits gamma rays, subsequently decaying to
99
Tc.
[2]
For isotopes lighter than the most stable isotope,
98
Tc, the primary decay mode is electron capture, giving
molybdenum. For the heavier isotopes, the primary mode is beta emission, giving ruthenium, with the exception
that
100
Tc can decay both by beta emission and electron capture.
[2][4]
Technetium-99 is the most common and most readily available isotope, as it is a major fission product from
fission of actinides like uranium and plutonium with a fission product yield of 6% or more per fission, and in fact
the most significant long-lived fission product. Lighter isotopes of technetium are almost never produced in
fission because the initial fission products normally have a higher neutron/proton ratio than is stable for their
mass range, and therefore undergo beta decay until reaching the ultimate product. Beta decay of fission
products of mass 95-98 stops at the stable isotopes of molybdenum of those masses and does not reach
technetium. For mass 100 and greater, the technetium isotopes of those masses are very short-lived and quickly
beta decay to isotopes of ruthenium. Therefore the technetium in spent nuclear fuel is practically all
99
Tc.
One gram of
99
Tc produces 6.210
8
disintegrations a second (that is, 0.62 GBq/g).
[5]
Technetium has no stable or nearly stable isotopes, and thus a standard atomic mass cannot be given.
1 Stability of technetium isotopes
2 Table
3 Notes
4 References
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Technetium and promethium are unusual light elements in that they have no stable isotopes. The reason for this
is somewhat complicated.
Using the liquid drop model for atomic nuclei, one can derive a semiempirical formula for the binding energy of
a nucleus. This formula predicts a "valley of beta stability" along which nuclides do not undergo beta decay.
Nuclides that lie "up the walls" of the valley tend to decay by beta decay towards the center (by emitting an
electron, emitting a positron, or capturing an electron). For a fixed number of nucleons A, the binding energies
lie on one or more parabolas, with the most stable nuclide at the bottom. One can have more than one parabola
because isotopes with an even number of protons and an even number of neutrons are more stable than isotopes
with an odd number of neutrons and an odd number of protons. A single beta decay then transforms one into the
other. When there is only one parabola, there can be only one stable isotope lying on that parabola. When there
are two parabolas, that is, when the number of nucleons is even, it can happen (rarely) that there is a stable
nucleus with an odd number of neutrons and an odd number of protons (although this happens only in four
instances:
2
H,
6
Li,
10
B, and
14
N). However, if this happens, there can be no stable isotope with an even number
of neutrons and an even number of protons.
For technetium (Z=43), the valley of beta stability is centered at around 98 nucleons. However, for every
number of nucleons from 95 to 102, there is already at least one stable nuclide of either molybdenum (Z=42) or
ruthenium (Z=44). For the isotopes with odd numbers of nucleons, this immediately rules out a stable isotope of
technetium, since there can be only one stable nuclide with a fixed odd number of nucleons. For the isotopes
with an even number of nucleons, since technetium has an odd number of protons, any isotope must also have
an odd number of neutrons. In such a case, the presence of a stable nuclide having the same number of nucleons
and an even number of protons rules out the possibility of a stable nucleus.
[6]
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nuclide
symbol
Z(p) N(n)

isotopic mass (u)

half-life
decay
mode(s)
[7][n 1]
daughter
isotope(s)
[n 2]
nuclear
spin
excitation energy
85
Tc
43 42 84.94883(43)# <110 ns

+ 85
Mo
1/2-# p
84
Mo

+
, p
84
Nb
86
Tc
43 43 85.94288(32)# 55(6) ms

+ 86
Mo
(0+)
86m
Tc
1500(150) keV 1.11(21) s (5+,5-)
87
Tc
43 44 86.93653(32)# 2.18(16) s

+ 87
Mo
1/2-#
87m
Tc
20(60)# keV 2# s 9/2+#
88
Tc
43 45 87.93268(22)# 5.8(2) s

+ 88
Mo
(2,3)
88m
Tc
0(300)# keV 6.4(8) s

+ 88
Mo
(6,7,8)
89
Tc
43 46 88.92717(22)# 12.8(9) s

+ 89
Mo
(9/2+)
89m
Tc
62.6(5) keV 12.9(8) s

+ 89
Mo
(1/2-)
90
Tc
43 47 89.92356(26) 8.7(2) s

+ 90
Mo
1+
90m
Tc
310(390) keV 49.2(4) s

+ 90
Mo
(8+)
91
Tc
43 48 90.91843(22) 3.14(2) min

+ 91
Mo
(9/2)+
91m
Tc
139.3(3) keV 3.3(1) min

+
(99%)
91
Mo
(1/2)-
IT (1%)
91
Tc
92
Tc
43 49 91.915260(28) 4.25(15) min

+ 92
Mo
(8)+
92m
Tc
270.15(11) keV 1.03(7) s (4+)
93
Tc
43 50 92.910249(4) 2.75(5) h

+ 93
Mo
9/2+
93m1
Tc
391.84(8) keV 43.5(10) min
IT (76.6%)
93
Tc
1/2-

+
(23.4%)
93
Mo
93m2
Tc
2185.16(15) keV 10.2(3) s (17/2)-
94
Tc
43 51 93.909657(5) 293(1) min

+ 94
Mo
7+
94m
Tc
75.5(19) keV 52.0(10) min

+
(99.9%)
94
Mo
(2)+
IT (.1%)
94
Tc
95
Tc
43 52 94.907657(6) 20.0(1) h

+ 95
Mo
9/2+
95m
Tc
38.89(5) keV 61(2) d

+
(96.12%)
95
Mo
1/2-
IT (3.88%)
95
Tc
96
Tc
43 53 95.907871(6) 4.28(7) d

+ 96
Mo
7+
96m
Tc
34.28(7) keV 51.5(10) min
IT (98%)
96
Tc
4+

+
(2%)
96
Mo
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97
Tc
43 54 96.906365(5)
2.610
6
a
EC
97
Mo
9/2+
97m
Tc
96.56(6) keV 91.4(8) d
IT (99.66%)
97
Tc
1/2-
EC (.34%)
97
Mo
98
Tc
43 55 97.907216(4)
4.2(3)10
6
a
- 98
Ru
(6)+
98m
Tc
90.76(16) keV 14.7(3) s (2)-
99
Tc
[n 3]
43 56 98.9062547(21)
2.111(12)10
5
a
- 99
Ru
9/2+
99m
Tc
[n 4]
142.6832(11) keV 6.0058(12) h
IT (99.99%)
99
Tc
1/2-

-
(.0037%)
99
Ru
100
Tc
43 57 99.9076578(24) 15.8(1) s

-
(99.99%)
100
Ru
1+
EC (.0018%)
100
Mo
100m1
Tc
200.67(4) keV 8.32(14) s (4)+
100m2
Tc
243.96(4) keV 3.2(2) s (6)+
101
Tc
43 58 100.907315(26) 14.22(1) min

- 101
Ru
9/2+
101m
Tc
207.53(4) keV 636(8) s 1/2-
102
Tc
43 59 101.909215(10) 5.28(15) s

- 102
Ru
1+
102m
Tc
20(10) keV 4.35(7) min

-
(98%)
102
Ru
(4,5)
IT (2%)
102
Tc
103
Tc
43 60 102.909181(11) 54.2(8) s

- 103
Ru
5/2+
104
Tc
43 61 103.91145(5) 18.3(3) min

- 104
Ru
(3+)#
104m1
Tc
69.7(2) keV 3.5(3) s 2(+)
104m2
Tc
106.1(3) keV 0.40(2) s (+)
105
Tc
43 62 104.91166(6) 7.6(1) min

- 105
Ru
(3/2-)
106
Tc
43 63 105.914358(14) 35.6(6) s

- 106
Ru
(1,2)
107
Tc
43 64 106.91508(16) 21.2(2) s

- 107
Ru
(3/2-)
107m
Tc
65.7(10) keV 184(3) ns (5/2-)
108
Tc
43 65 107.91846(14) 5.17(7) s

- 108
Ru
(2)+
109
Tc
43 66 108.91998(10) 860(40) ms

-
(99.92%)
109
Ru
3/2-#

-
, n (.08%)
108
Ru
110
Tc
43 67 109.92382(8) 0.92(3) s

-
(99.96%)
110
Ru
(2+)

-
, n (.04%)
109
Ru
111
Tc
43 68 110.92569(12) 290(20) ms

-
(99.15%)
111
Ru
3/2-#

-
, n (.85%)
110
Ru
112
Tc
43 69 111.92915(13) 290(20) ms

-
(97.4%)
112
Ru
2+#

-
, n (2.6%)
111
Ru
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113
Tc
43 70 112.93159(32)# 170(20) ms

- 113
Ru
3/2-#
114
Tc
43 71 113.93588(64)# 150(30) ms

- 114
Ru
2+#
115
Tc
43 72 114.93869(75)# 100# ms [>300 ns]

- 115
Ru
3/2-#
116
Tc
43 73 115.94337(75)# 90# ms [>300 ns] 2+#
117
Tc
43 74 116.94648(75)# 40# ms [>300 ns] 3/2-#
118
Tc
43 75 117.95148(97)# 30# ms [>300 ns] 2+#
^ Abbreviations:
EC: Electron capture
IT: Isomeric transition
1.
^ Bold for stable isotopes, bold italics for nearly-stable isotopes (half-life longer than the age of the universe) 2.
^ Long-lived fission product 3.
^ Used in medicine 4.
Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends.
Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses.
Uncertainties are given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. Uncertainty
values denote one standard deviation, except isotopic composition and standard atomic mass from IUPAC
which use expanded uncertainties.
^ LANL Periodic Table, "Technetium" paragraph 2 1.
^
a

b

c

d
EnvironmentalChemistry.com, "Technetium", Nuclides / Isotopes 2.
^ Meet technetium-120 (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reCenter.jsp?z=43&n=77)and technetium-119
(http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reCenter.jsp?z=43&n=76), technetium's newest isotopes!
3.
^ CRC Handbook, 85th edition, table of the isotopes 4.
^ The Encyclopedia of the Chemical Elements, page 693, "Toxicology", paragraph 2 5.
^ RADIOCHEMISTRY and NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY. The isotope technetium-97 decays only by electron decay
and could be inhibited from radioactive decay by fully ionizing it.
6.
^ http://www.nucleonica.net/unc.aspx 7.
Isotope masses from:
G. Audi, A. H. Wapstra, C. Thibault, J. Blachot and O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation
of nuclear and decay properties" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/amdc/nubase/Nubase2003.pdf).
Nuclear Physics A 729: 3128. Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A (http://adsabs.harvard.edu
/abs/2003NuPhA.729....3A). doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 (http://dx.doi.org
/10.1016%2Fj.nuclphysa.2003.11.001).
Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from:
J. R. de Laeter, J. K. Bhlke, P. De Bivre, H. Hidaka, H. S. Peiser, K. J. R. Rosman and P. D. P.
Taylor (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)"
(http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/75/6/0683/pdf/). Pure and Applied Chemistry 75 (6):
683800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1351%2Fpac200375060683).
M. E. Wieser (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)"
(http://iupac.org/publications/pac/78/11/2051/pdf/). Pure and Applied Chemistry 78 (11):
20512066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1351%2Fpac200678112051). Lay
Isotopes of technetium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_technetium
5 of 6 10.2.2014 18:08
summary (http://old.iupac.org/news/archives/2005/atomic-weights_revised05.html).
Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. See editing notes on this article's talk
page.
G. Audi, A. H. Wapstra, C. Thibault, J. Blachot and O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation
of nuclear and decay properties" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/amdc/nubase/Nubase2003.pdf).
Nuclear Physics A 729: 3128. Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A (http://adsabs.harvard.edu
/abs/2003NuPhA.729....3A). doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 (http://dx.doi.org
/10.1016%2Fj.nuclphysa.2003.11.001).
National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.1 database" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/).
Brookhaven National Laboratory. Retrieved September 2005.
N. E. Holden (2004). "Table of the Isotopes". In D. R. Lide. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and
Physics (85th ed.). CRC Press. Section 11. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.
Isotopes of molybdenum Isotopes of technetium Isotopes of ruthenium
Table of nuclides
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