Who discovered neodymium and when was it first isolated?
Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach separated neodymium from didymium in 1885. Pure metallic neodymium remained unisolated until the year 1925.
Questions about Neodymium
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What are the natural isotopes of neodymium and their abundance rates?
Naturally occurring neodymium consists of five stable isotopes: 142Nd, 143Nd, 145Nd, 146Nd, and 148Nd. The isotope 142Nd represents about 27.2 percent of natural abundance.
Where does most commercial neodymium originate and what minerals contain it?
Most commercial neodymium originates from mines located in China within ores like monazite and bastnäsite. Mining operations also span multiple nations including the United States, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia.
When did commercial use of purified neodymium begin for glass coloration?
Commercial use of purified neodymium began in November 1927 when Leo Moser conducted experiments on glass coloration. His resulting Alexandrite glass remains a signature product at the Moser glassworks today.
How strong are neodymium-iron-boron alloys compared to other magnets?
Neodymium-iron-boron alloys form the strongest permanent magnets known to science with force capable of lifting objects exceeding one thousand times their own weight. These devices offer cheaper, lighter, and stronger alternatives compared to samarium-cobalt variants.