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Cerium Metal Applications

Cerium(Ce) is the one of rare earth metals with atomic number 58. Cerium is a malleable, soft, ductile, iron-grey metal, slightly harder than lead. The commercial-grade cerium is iron-gray in color. Cerium is very reactive element that readily tarnishes in air, slowly oxidizes in cold water and rapidly in hot water. It could be burned when heated or scratched with a knife. Cerium dissolves in acids. Cerium was first found by Jöns Jacob Berzelius and Wilhelm Hisinger in Sweden in 1803, and independently by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in Germany. However, cerium was isolated in 1839 by Carl Gustav Mosander. Cerium was named for the asteroid Ceres, which was discovered in 1801. Cerium is found in many minerals, but the main sources of cerium are monazite and bastnasite. The pure cerium is prepared metallothermic technique reducing cerium fluoride by calcium, or using electrolysis of molten cerium chloride. Cerium is interesting due to its variable electric structure. Cerium is the most abundant of all lanthanides making up 66 ppm of Earth’s crust. Cerium compounds have a number of practical applications. The first usage of cerium was in gas mantles. Nowadays, cerium use is still growing because of fact it is suited to produce catalyzers and to polish the gas.
Cerium is the major component of mischmetal alloy (just under 50%) which used in “flints” for cigarettes lighters. This is because cerium will make sparks when struck.
Cerium is used in aluminum and iron alloys, stainless steel as a precipitation hardening agent to make permanent magnets.
Cerium oxide is used as catalyst which is applied inside of walls of self-cleaning ovens to prevent build-up of cooking residues.
Cerium oxide catalyst is used as catalytic converters to clean up exhaust vehicles, it also catalyzes the reduction of nitrogen oxides nitrogen gas.
Cerium sulfide is used as pigment. This pigment is a non-toxic compound that is red rich color.
Cerium is also used in flat screen TVs, low energy light bulbs and flood lights.
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