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Nuclear & Radiochemistry

Transuranium Elements

The synthetic elements with atomic numbers greater than 92, beyond uranium in the periodic table.

Formula / equation Z > 92
Unit Dimensionless

In depth

All are radioactive and, except for trace plutonium and neptunium in uranium ores, all are man-made. They are produced by neutron capture in reactors or by bombarding heavy targets with accelerated ions, and half-lives generally shorten as atomic number rises.

Examples in the real world

Neptunium, plutonium, americium in smoke detectors, and oganesson at element 118.