Bastnaes Contributions to REM Development

The Bastnaes field is a region rich in minerals, situated at Riddarhyttan in the province of Westmanland in Central Sweden. Iron and copper ores have been mined there for hundreds of years. 

The new oxide, ceria, was investigated energetically by Berzehus. He found that - un-Hke yttria - it had two different oxidahon states corresponding, in today s nomenclature, to Ce Oj and CeO (oxidation states 3 and 4 respectively . the lower oxidation state the element gave colorless soluhons, in the higher yeUowish-red ones. Berzelius saw something special in the new element and found it difficult to place its oxide among the proper earths. Today we know what is really special about cerium - it is the first lanthanide. 

Berzelius and Hisinger very soon sent a paper about the discovery for publication in the German Journal Neues Allgemeines Journal der Chemie. The editor answered to Berzelius  

Klaproth had named the oxide he had discovered ockroite after its yellowish-brown color. Now a big scientific struggle started. The two Swedes would in fact have accepted shared priority with Klaproth, the most distinguished analytical chemist in Europe. The accusations did not come from Berzelius but from Klaproth. The background was this [17.2]  

After having read the two publications, N.-L. Vauquelin in Paris wrote his own paper in which, for some inscrutable reason, he asserted that the two Swedes had made the cerium discovery, informed Klaproth about it, and also sent a sample of the heavy stone from Bastnaes. Klaproth had then published the investigation in his own name. This was a terrible accusation, which naturally made Klaproth very indignant. That a young unknown Herr Berzelius, 24 years of age and without experience, should compete with 

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