A method of ocean sediments dating by estimating or ratio of protactinium-231 and thorium-230 (ionium) was suggested and developed, producing scientifically very valuable results; at least for this reason protactinium is worthy to be seriously researched. It should be reminded that thorium and germanium previously also had been "unemployed".
Protactinium is the element of the future. It is not too difficult to produce uranium-232 by protactinium-231 neutron bombarding. This uranium product produces uranium itself. Meanwhile uranium-232 is a very efficient α-particle source which may compete with plutonium-238 and polonium-210 which are used in terrestrial and space technologies as independent power sources. The calculated energy release of uranium-238 is 9 times of that of plutonium-238 with very close half-life periods. That makes protactinium-231 very prospective as an easiest way of obtaining uranium-232. |