Thallium () is a chemical element with the symbol Tl and atomic number 81.[LINK: http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/81.html] thallium, Los Alamos National Laboratory. Retrieved November 21, 2006. This soft gray malleable poor metal resembles tin but discolors when exposed to air. Thallium is highly toxic and is used in rat poisons and insecticides but since it might also cause cancer (although the United States EPA does not class it as carcinogen), this use has been cut back or eliminated in many countries. It is also used in infrared detectors.It has even been used in some murders, earning the nicknames "The Poisoner's Poison" and "Inheritance powder" (alongside arsenic). Notable characteristics This metal is very soft and malleable and can be cut with a knife. When it is first exposed to air, thallium has a metallic luster but quickly tarnishes with

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # TAGS