Editing Einsteinium (section)

===Preparation of the metal===
Einsteinium is highly reactive, so strong reducing agents are required to obtain the pure metal from its compounds.<ref name="h1588">[[#Haire|Haire]], p. 1588</ref> This can be achieved by reduction of [[einsteinium(III) fluoride]] with metallic [[lithium]]:
:EsF{{sub|3}} + 3 Li → Es + 3 LiF

However, owing to its low melting point and high rate of self-radiation damage, einsteinium has a higher vapor pressure than [[lithium fluoride]]. This makes this reduction reaction rather inefficient. It was tried in the early preparation attempts and quickly abandoned in favor of reduction of einsteinium(III) oxide with [[lanthanum]] metal:<ref name="ev">{{cite journal|last1=Haire|first1=R.|title=Preparation, properties, and some recent studies of the actinide metals|url=http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=5235830|doi=10.1016/0022-5088(86)90554-0|date=1986|pages=379–398|volume=121|journal=Journal of the Less Common Metals|s2cid=97518446 |access-date=2010-11-24|archive-date=2013-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513130241/http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=5235830|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ES_METALL" /><ref name="h1590">[[#Haire|Haire]], p. 1590</ref>
:Es{{sub|2}}O{{sub|3}} + 2 La → 2 Es + La{{sub|2}}O{{sub|3}}