When was cerium discovered and by whom?
Cerium was discovered in 1803 by Jöns Jakob Berzelius and Wilhelm Hisinger in a mine in Bastnäs, Sweden. They isolated the substance from a heavy gangue rock that miners had dismissed as worthless.
Common questions about Cerium
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the abundance of cerium in the Earth's crust?
Cerium has an abundance in the Earth's crust of 68 parts per million, which is equal to that of copper and far exceeds the 13 parts per million found in lead. It occurs in minerals like monazite and bastnäsite where it makes up about half of the lanthanide content.
How was pure cerium metal first isolated?
Pure cerium metal was first isolated in 1875 by William Francis Hillebrand after decades of struggle to separate the true metal from its oxide. Earlier attempts by Berzelius and Hisinger only succeeded in isolating cerium in the form of its oxide known as ceria.
What role did cerium play during the Manhattan Project?
During the Manhattan Project, cerium served as a material for crucibles used in the casting of uranium and plutonium. The Ames Laboratory began production of extremely pure cerium in mid-1944 to withstand the high temperatures and strongly reducing conditions required for casting plutonium metal.
How is cerium used in modern lighting technology?
Cerium is an essential component of white light-emitting diodes as cerium(III)-doped yttrium aluminium garnet emits yellow light at a wavelength of 530 to 540 nanometers. This yellow light combines with blue light from the diode to create white light for efficient illumination.
What are the biological and environmental effects of cerium?
Cerium has no known biological role in humans but is not particularly toxic except with intense or continued exposure. It can accumulate in bones in small amounts because it often occurs together with calcium in phosphate minerals, and it damages cell membranes in aquatic organisms.