neodym

Neodymium, symbol Nd, is a chemical element with atomic number 60 in the lanthanide series. It is a soft, silvery metal that tarnishes in air and is relatively reactive at higher temperatures. Neodymium occurs in minerals such as bastnäsite and monazite and is recovered commercially from rare earth ore concentrates.

Chemically, neodymium most commonly exhibits the +3 oxidation state and forms oxides such as Nd2O3, as well as a range of salts. In bulk form it is ductile and is often alloyed with iron and boron to produce strong permanent magnets.

Production and occurrence: Neodymium is extracted from bastnäsite and monazite, with ore concentrates processed by solvent extraction and ion exchange to separate the rare earth elements. In recent decades, China has been a dominant supplier, with other producers including Australia and the United States.

Major applications: The principal use is in neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets, which provide high magnetic strength for devices such as hard disk drives, headphones, wind turbines, and electric motors. Neodymium is also used in Nd-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers, which are common in industry and medicine, and in various Nd-doped glasses and ceramics for specialized laser and optical applications.

Isotopes and dating: Natural neodymium consists of several stable isotopes. Nd isotopes are used in geochemistry and geochronology, notably in samarium-neodymium dating, to study the age and origin of rocks and minerals.

Safety and environment: Handling and processing of neodymium and its compounds require proper controls due to toxicity concerns associated with some rare earth compounds. The mining and refining of rare earths also raise environmental and supply-chain considerations.