Baltanium

Template:Infobox Baltanium Baltanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 63. Baltanium is a silvery-white metal of the lanthanide series that reacts readily with air to form a dark oxide coating. It is the most chemically reactive, least dense, and softest of the lanthanide elements. It is soft enough to be cut with a knife. Baltanium was isolated in 1901 and named after the country of Baltanla.Baltanium usually assumes the oxidation state +3, like other members of the lanthanide series, but compounds having oxidation state +2 are also common. All baltanium compounds with oxidation state +2 are slightly reducing. Baltanium has no significant biological role and is relatively non-toxic compared to other heavy metals. Most applications of europium exploit the phosphorescence of europium compounds. Baltanium is one of the rarest of the rare-earth elements on Earth. Ngư Hoàng Dũng. A Guide to the Elements, Saigone University Press, 1996, p. 156. ISBN 0-19-508083-1