Francium is recognized as one of the rarest elements on Earth, with estimates suggesting only about 17 atoms exist at any given time. It is produced through the disintegration of actinium and can be artificially created by bombarding thorium with protons. The most stable isotope, 223Fr, has a half-life of just 22 minutes, making it extremely unstable. Despite its rarity, francium's lack of weighable quantities and practical applications renders it largely valueless.
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Francium occurs as a result of a disintegration of actinium. Francium is found in uranium minerals, and can be made artificially by bombarding thorium with protons. It is the most unstable of the first 101 elements. The longest lived isotope, 223Fr, a daughter of 227Ac, has a half-life of 22 minutes. This is the only isotope of francium occurring in nature, but at most there is only 20-30 g of the element present in the Earth's crust at anyone time. No weighable quantity of the element has been prepared or isolated. There are about 20 known isotopes.