Neodymium

Neodymium is a chemical element that is classified as a lanthanide in the periodic table of elements. It is bright and silvery and is the most reactive of the rare earth metals which causes it to readily tarnishes in air. This rare earth metal is the most popular metal in the rare earth metal family. In the crust of the earth, there are tons of neodymium but specially China is the main country that mine neodymium.

Nodymium alloys are used as permanent magnets and is in fact the strongest magnet known. This magnet is used to make small volume and low mass products such as microphones, professional loudspeakers, in-ear headphones and computer hard disks. Also neodymium magnet is used for the generator and electric motors.

Properties
Physical Properties of Neodymium

Neodymium is one of the unique chemicals that can be found in normal equipment such as lamps, television, and glass. Also, it is the one of the chemicals in alloys to make flint. To make great permanent magnet, the main alloys are Neodymium, iron and boron. This magnet is used in many ways in our lives, such as computers data storing and parts in the automobile. This atom is a soft and adaptable metal that can split into slender pieces. This atom can be cut and shaped without difficulty. Its atomic number is 60 and atomic mass is 144.24 amu. This element's melting point is 1024°C and boiling point is 3030°C.

Chemical Properties of Neodymium

Neodymium reacts with water, air, acid, and all the halogens. It tarnishes in air and reacts slowly in cold water but reacts immediately in hot water to form neodymium hydroxide. This metal reacts with all of halogens too and it is stored in oil and plastic then wrapped.

Chemical Reactions

As mentioned in the Property section, it reacts with air, acids, water, and halogens. Each of reactions forms different names and different equations.

4Nd + 3O2 → 2Nd2O3
 * Neodymium has reaction in air, it contaminates slowly but burns quickly. When it burns away, it forms neodymium (III) oxide (Nd2O3)

2Nd(s) + 6H2O(g) → 2Nd(OH)3(aq) + 3H2(g)
 * Neodymium reacts with water but depending on the temperature of water, it may react differently. Because of its electro positive characteristic. When it reacts with cold water, it slowly forms neodymium hydroxide, Nd(OH)3. When it reacts with hot water, it reacts rapidly to form hydrogen gas (H2).

have different equations and reactions. Fluorine forms neodymium(III) fluoride (NdF3), chlorine fomrs neodymium(III) chloride (NdCl3), bromine forms neodymium(III) bromide (NdBr3), and lastly iodine forms neodymium(III) iodide (NdI3). 2Nd(s) + 3F2(g) → 2NdF3(s) [violet]
 * Neodymium also reacts with all the halogens and when they bond to each other the name neodymium(III) halides is formed. All the halogens such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine with the exception of astatine.

2Nd(s) + 3Cl2(g) → 2NdCl3(s) [mauve]

2Nd(s) + 3Br2(g) → 2NdBr3(s) [violet]

2Nd(s) + 3I2(g) → 2NdI3(s) [green]

2Nd(s) + 3H2SO4(aq) → 2Nd3+(aq) + 3SO42-(aq) + 3H2(g)
 * Neodymium reacts in acids. It disappears quickly in liquefied sulphuric and lilac aquated Nd(III) ion with hydrogen gas, H2 is formed. In that compound, the Nd3+(aq) abides in the complex ion [Nd(OH2)9]3+.

Occurrences
Neodymium is one of the most abundant rare earth metals in the world. In the earth's crust, there are approximately 38 mg/kg which means that Neodymium is second more numerous rare-earth element after cerium. It is hardly less ample than zinc and copper. Also, it is one of the lanthanide series. Lanthanide series can divide into large two groups depend on the atomic number. Atomic numbers from 57 to 63 comprise the cerium group and are considered as light rare-earths metals. The atomic numbers from 64 to 71 comprise yttrium group and are considered as heavy rare-earth metals. Monazite and bastnasite are the most banal ores of neodymium, also those ores are common for other earth metals. Also, neodymium is common in Misch metals. Neodymium's main occurrences are China, United States, Brazil, Australia, India and Sri Lanka. Most of neodymium is from China because their government knows the importance of neodymium.

Discovery of Neodymium
In the 1700s, two significant minerals were discovered in Sweden. One named yttria was discovered in the town of Ytterby. It was found out to possess nine new elements. The other important mineral was discovered around the town of Bastnas and called cerite. It was found out to possess seven new elements. The Swedish chemist Carl Gustav Mosander (1797-1858) studied about cerite and in 1839, he separated cerite into two parts. Which are cerium and lanthanum. Mosander strongly thought that he discovered the two new elements but later, he realized that lanthanum was not a element. However, lanthanum was a mixture of two parts and he named those two mixtures as lanthanum and didymium. After his death, chemist ratified that two of Mosander's discoveries were really new elements. Based on the Mosander's discovery, the Austrian chemist, Carl Auer von Welsbach found that didymium has characteristics that it has two simple materials which are neodymium and praseodymium. The name neodymium is from Greek word that neos means new and didymos means twin. Also, praseodymium's name is from Greek word that praseo means green and didymos is same as neodymium's. During Mosander or Auer's time, there were no such equipments to find new elements so they had reliance on environmental methods. In 1925 the first pure samples of neodymium were produced.

Isotopes
There are seven neodymium isotopes that naturally occur. Six of the Neodymium isotopes are stable but the Nd-144 is radioactive and every isotopes are different depend on their atomic number. The neodymium isotopes are used as the application for the science. Nd -142 is used Tm and Yb isotopes, Nd-146 was mainly suggested in the process of producing Pm-147 and Pm-147 is a source for the radioisotopic power generation. Other than Nd-146, neodymium isotopes are used for Pm isotopes. Lastly, Nd-150 is one that for the double beta decay to study about it. Also, there are seven radioactive neodymium isotopes that break down and discharge the radiation. When small particles are burnt out at atoms then the radioactive neodymium is produced. The fired small particles stick to atoms and make them have the characteristic of radioactive.

Neodymium Magnet
Neodymium magnets are the stronger permanent magnets than any other magnets and they are well known to people. Also, this magnet is really strong that few grams of this magnet can lift a thousand times its own weight. The formula for this magnet is Nd2Fe14B, two atoms of neodymium, fourteen atoms of iron and one boron. Neodymium magnet is a part of rare-earth magnet and there is one another type of rare-earth magnet which is samarium-cobalt magnets. Rare-earth magnets are really fragile and easy to get disintegration so mostly they are covered to prevent from disintegration. Also, rare-earth magnets have distinct characteristics that comprise atoms from lanthanide or actinide series in the periodic table. Neodymium magnets, are used in various ways such as headphones, guitars, computer's hard disks, and microphones. Also, neodymium magnets are used to make air planes. Lastly, neodymium magnet is a powerful and useful magnet to human but it also has a downside. When this magnet is in the place where the temperature is high, its magnetic field losses intensity of it.


 * Properties of Neodymium magnet

· (Br) indicates a remanence which is a measurement for check the strength of the magnetic field

· Hci (kA/m) is a coercivity which is the material's resistance to become demagnetized

· (BH)max is an energy product that represents the density of magnetic energy

· Tc is a curie temperature. It is a temperature that show the loosing of its magnetism.

Chemical compound
Neodymium can combine with oxygen, halogens, hydrogen, and other elements to produce important compounds. The oxidation number 3 is the most common for neodymium. Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) Neodymium dichloride (NdCl2) Neodymium trichloride (NdCl3) Neodymium tribromide (NdBr3) Neodymium triiodide (NdI3) Neodymium diiodide (NdI2) Dineodymium trioxide (Nd2O3) Neodymium sulphide (NdS) Dineodymium trisulphide (Nd2S3) Neodymium selenide (NdSe) Neodymium telluride (NdTe) Dineodymium tritelluride (Nd2Te3) Neodymium nitride (NdN)
 * Fluorides
 * Chlorides
 * Bromides
 * Iodides
 * Oxides
 * Sulfides
 * Selenides
 * Tellurides
 * Nitrides

Uses

 * powerful permanent magnets
 * lasers
 * in astronomy to calibrate spectral lines
 * alloys
 * coloring glass to make welder's goggles
 * hard disk
 * microphone
 * professional loudspeaker
 * in-ear headphone
 * generator
 * electric motor
 * small toys(Small neodymium magnets)

Video
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Additional Information

 * 4 Rare Earth Elements That Will Only Get More Important by Maggie Koerth-Baker. Popular Mechanics magazine. Accessed 22 May 2010.