Date: 21/08/2021 19:19:24
From: mollwollfumble
ID: 1780903
Subject: Obsolete chemical names

Many chemical elements used to have names that held for a decade or so but were eventually rejected. Very many.

Would it be possible to make up a periodic table composed solely of element names that have since been rejected?

Here are some that I’ve run across. First, those from the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (1937)

There are those names retained in their chemical symbol

Others

Then there are the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfermium_Wars. I find this particularly annoying because the names I learnt at the time of discovery ended up being the names rejected by the IUPAC.

There are generic names based on numbers 101 to 118 (and beyond)

There are element names invented by Mendeleev.

There are generic names from chemical affinity using the system of Mendeleev

There are decay chain isotopes, most get a name like “Thorium C”, but some names are particularly noteworthy

There are a few elements that never existed. Coronium and Nebulium are two that spring to mind, highly ionised Iron and Oxygen identified in the Sun’s spectrum.

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Date: 21/08/2021 19:57:57
From: dv
ID: 1780930
Subject: re: Obsolete chemical names

True enough

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Date: 23/08/2021 16:14:48
From: Obviousman
ID: 1781714
Subject: re: Obsolete chemical names

mollwollfumble said:


Many chemical elements used to have names that held for a decade or so but were eventually rejected. Very many.

Would it be possible to make up a periodic table composed solely of element names that have since been rejected?

Here are some that I’ve run across. First, those from the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (1937)

  • Alabamine 85
  • Cassiopeium then Lutecium (now Lutetium)
  • Celtium (now Hafnium)
  • Columbium (now Niobium)
  • Glucinium (now Beryllium)
  • Illinium 61
  • Masurium 43
  • Niton (now Radon)
  • Virginium 87

There are those names retained in their chemical symbol

  • Stannum (Tin), Wolframium (Tungsten), Natrium (Sodium), Argentum (Silver), Kalium (Potassium), Hydrargyrum (Mercury), Plumbum (Lead), Stibium (Antimony), Ferrum (Iron), Aurum (Gold).

Others

  • Vanadium used to be Panchromium then Erythronium
  • Ytterbium later gained the rejected names Neoytterbium then Aldebaranium before returning to the original

Then there are the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfermium_Wars. I find this particularly annoying because the names I learnt at the time of discovery ended up being the names rejected by the IUPAC.

  • Joliotium 102, Kurchatovium 104, Hahnium 105, Rutherfordium 106, Nielsbohrium 107, Becquerelium 110

There are generic names based on numbers 101 to 118 (and beyond)

  • 101 unnilunium, 102 unnilbium, … , 108 unniloctium, 109 unnilennium, 110 ununnilium, 111 unununium, … , 118 ununoctium

There are element names invented by Mendeleev.

  • Ekabor (Scandium), Ekaaljuminij (Gallium), Ekamarganec/Eka-manganese (Technetium), Ekasilicij (Germanium)

There are generic names from chemical affinity using the system of Mendeleev

  • 113 Eka-thallium, 114 Eka-lead, 119 Eka-francium, 120 Eka-radium

There are decay chain isotopes, most get a name like “Thorium C”, but some names are particularly noteworthy

  • Emanation (Radon), Ionium (Thorium), Brevium then Protoactinium (Protactinium)

There are a few elements that never existed. Coronium and Nebulium are two that spring to mind, highly ionised Iron and Oxygen identified in the Sun’s spectrum.

Thank you for that. Both informative and fun!

Reply Quote
Date: 23/08/2021 16:53:04
From: fsm
ID: 1781733
Subject: re: Obsolete chemical names

A Periodic Table of Rejected Element Names

https://www.compoundchem.com/2016/01/30/rejectedelements/

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