Rare earths Properties

T. Kano, H. Yanagida, Rare Earth - Properties and Applications, Gibodo Sbuppan, Tokyo, (1990) p. 159. 

Pure holmium has a metallic to bright silver luster. It is relatively soft and malleable, and is stable in dry air at room temperature, but rapidly oxidizes in moist air and at elevated temperatures. The metal has unusual magnetic properties. Few uses have yet been found for the element. The element, as with other rare earths, seems to have a low acute toxic rating. 

Although rare-earth ions are mosdy trivalent, lanthanides can exist in the divalent or tetravalent state when the electronic configuration is close to the stable empty, half-fUed, or completely fiUed sheUs. Thus samarium, europium, thuUum, and ytterbium can exist as divalent cations in certain environments. On the other hand, tetravalent cerium, praseodymium, and terbium are found, even as oxides where trivalent and tetravalent states often coexist. The stabili2ation of the different valence states for particular rare earths is sometimes used for separation from the other trivalent lanthanides. The chemicals properties of the di- and tetravalent ions are significantly different. 

Physical Properties. An overview of the metallurgy (qv) and soUd-state physics of the rare earths is available (6). The rare earths form aUoys with most metals. They can be present interstitiaUy, in soUd solutions, or as intermetaUic compounds in a second phase. Alloying with other elements can make the rare earths either pyrophoric or corrosion resistant. It is extremely important, when determining physical constants, that the materials are very pure and weU characteri2ed. AU impurity levels in the sample should be known. Some properties of the lanthanides are Usted in Table 3. 

The arc and spark spectra of the individual lanthanides are exceedingly complex. Thousands of emission lines are observed. For the trivalent rare-earth ions in soUds, the absorption spectra are much better understood. However, the crystal fields of the neighboring atoms remove the degeneracy of some states and several levels exist where only one did before. Many of these crystal field levels exist very close to a base level. As the soUd is heated, a number of the lower levels become occupied. Some physical properties of rare-earth metals are thus very sensitive to temperature (7). 

Separation Processes. The product of ore digestion contains the rare earths in the same ratio as that in which they were originally present in the ore, with few exceptions, because of the similarity in chemical properties. The various processes for separating individual rare earth from naturally occurring rare-earth mixtures essentially utilize small differences in acidity resulting from the decrease in ionic radius from lanthanum to lutetium. The acidity differences influence the solubiUties of salts, the hydrolysis of cations, and the formation of complex species so as to allow separation by fractional crystallization, fractional precipitation, ion exchange, and solvent extraction. In addition, the existence of tetravalent and divalent species for cerium and europium, respectively, is useful because the chemical behavior of these ions is markedly different from that of the trivalent species. 

The extremely unusual physical properties of the rare earths are the reason for a number of industrial appHcations where no other element can suffice. Furthermore, although RE chemical properties are rather similar to those of the alkaline earths, some specific properties have pushed the rare earths into large industrial developments. 

Metallurgy. The strong affinity for oxygen and sulfur makes the rare-earth metals useflil in metallurgy (qv). Mischmetal acts as a trap for these Group 16 (VIA) elements, which are usually detrimental to the properties of steel (qv) or cast iron (qv). Resistance to high temperature oxidation and thermomechanical properties of several metals and alloys are thus significantly improved by the addition of small amounts of mischmetal or its siUcide (16,17). 

R. J. Elliott, ed.. Magnetic Properties of the Rare Earth Metals, Plenum Press, London, 1972. 

AHoy base Rare-earth addition, % AST M Grade Condition Density, g/cc Ultimate tensile strength, MPa Typical mechanical properties, RT Yield Elongation, % strength, MPa Elastic modulus, GPa... 

Ion-exchange and complexing properties of organosilicon adsorbents were studied on the example of 50 elements of Periodical System. Among synthesized adsorbents it was found an effective complexation afents toward rare-earth elements. The sorption of elements is accompanied by bright display of tetradic effect. Adsorbents were synthesized, which opened wide chances of soi ption isolation and division of rare-earth elements. 

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