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Neodymium Element and Its Applications

Neodymium(Nd) is the one of the rare earth metals with atomic number 60. Neodymium is a soft, bright-silvery metal that tarnishes in air meaning it oxidizes in ordinary air. It takes a year for a centimeter-sized neodymium to be completely oxidized. Neodymium slowly reacts with cold water and quickly with hot water to form neodymium hydroxide. In addition, neodymium vigorously reacts with halogens to form neodymium halides and readily dissolves in dilute sulfuric acid to form +3 neodymium ions. Neodymium was discovered by Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach in Vienna in 1885 by separating it from a material known as didymium. Starting in the 1950s, high purity neodymium, above 99%, was primarily obtained through ion-exchange process from monazite. The neodymium itself could be also obtained by electrolyzing neodymium halide salts. Due to its unstable state in nature, neodymium almost does not exist as pure element. Hence, neodymium is mostly extracted from ores such as monazite an...