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Neodymium

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Neodymium

Atomic Mass	144.242
Electron Configuration	[Xe]6s24f4
Oxidation States	+3
Year Discovered	1885

Neodymium

Atomic Mass	144.242
Electron Configuration	[Xe]6s24f4
Oxidation States	+3
Year Discovered	1885

Identifiers

Element Name	Neodymium
Element Symbol	Nd
InChI	InChI=1S/Nd
InChIKey	QEFYFXOXNSNQGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Properties

Atomic Weight	144.242(3) 144.242 144.2 144.242(3)
Electron Configuration	[Xe]6s²4f⁴
Atomic Radius	Van der Waals Atomic Radius : 229 pm (Van der Waals) Empirical Atomic Radius : 185pm (Empirical) Covalent Atomic Radius : 201(6) pm (Covalent)
Oxidation States	+3 +4, +3, +2 (a mildly basic oxide)
Ground Level	⁵I₄
Ionization Energy	5.525 eV 5.52475 ± 0.00005 eV
Electronegativity	Pauling Scale Electronegativity : 1.14(Pauling Scale)
Atomic Spectra	Lines Holdings Levels Holdings
Physical Description	Solid
Element Classification	Metal
Element Period Number	6
Element Group Number	- Lanthanide
Density	7.01 grams per cubic centimeter
Melting Point	1294 K (1021°C or 1870°F) 1024°C
Boiling Point	3347 K (3074°C or 5565°F) 3074°C
Estimated Crustal Abundance	4.15×10¹ milligrams per kilogram
Estimated Oceanic Abundance	2.8×10^-6 milligrams per liter

History

The name derives from the Greek neos for "new" and didymos for "twin". It was discovered by the Swedish surgeon and chemist Carl Gustav Mosander in 1841, who called it didymium (or twin) because of its similarity to lanthanum, which he had previously discovered two years earlier. In 1885, the Austrian chemist Carl Auer (Baron von Welsbach) separated didymium into two elements, one of which he called neodymium (or new twin).

Neodymium was discovered by Carl F. Auer von Welsbach, an Austrian chemist, in 1885. He separated neodymium, as well as the element praseodymium, from a material known as didymium. Today, neodymium is primarily obtained from through an ion exchange process monazite sand ((Ce, La, Th, Nd, Y)PO4), a material rich in rare earth elements.

From the Greek word neos meaning new, and didymos, twin. In 1841, Mosander, extracted a rose-colored oxide from cerite , which he believed contained a new element. He named the element didymium, as it was an inseparable twin brother of lanthanum. In 1885 von Welsbach separated didymium into two new elemental components, neodymia and praseodymia, by repeated fractionation of ammonium didymium nitrate. While the free metal is in misch metal, long known and used as a pyrophoric alloy for light flints, the element was not isolated in relatively pure form until 1925. Neodymium is present in misch metal to the extent of about 18%. It is present in the minerals monazite and bastnasite, which are principal sources of rare-earth metals.

Historical Atomic Weights

Year	Atomic Weight (uncertainty) [u]	Reference
2005	144.242(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200678112051
1969	144.24(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197021010091
1961	144.24	https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00881a001
1925	144.27	https://doi.org/10.1039/CT9252700913
1909	144.3	https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01931a001
1902	143.6	https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01370337

Historical Isotopic Abundances

Year	Isotope	Abundance (uncertainty)	Reference
2009	¹⁴²Nd	0.271 52(40)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
2009	¹⁴³Nd	0.121 74(26)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
2009	¹⁴⁴Nd	0.237 98(19)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
2009	¹⁴⁵Nd	0.082 93(12)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
2009	¹⁴⁶Nd	0.171 89(32)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
2009	¹⁴⁸Nd	0.057 56(21)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
2009	¹⁵⁰Nd	0.056 38(28)	https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REP-10-06-02
1997	¹⁴²Nd	0.272(5)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁴³Nd	0.122(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁴⁴Nd	0.238(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁴⁵Nd	0.083(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁴⁶Nd	0.172(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁴⁸Nd	0.057(1)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997	¹⁵⁰Nd	0.056(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1989	¹⁴²Nd	0.2713(12)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁴³Nd	0.1218(6)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁴⁴Nd	0.2380(12)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁴⁵Nd	0.0830(6)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁴⁶Nd	0.1719(9)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁴⁸Nd	0.0576(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989	¹⁵⁰Nd	0.0564(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1979	¹⁴²Nd	0.2716(7)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁴³Nd	0.1218(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁴⁴Nd	0.2380(7)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁴⁵Nd	0.0829(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁴⁶Nd	0.1719(3)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁴⁸Nd	0.0575(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979	¹⁵⁰Nd	0.0563(2)	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1975	¹⁴²Nd	0.272	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁴³Nd	0.122	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁴⁴Nd	0.238	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁴⁵Nd	0.083	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁴⁶Nd	0.172	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁴⁸Nd	0.057	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975	¹⁵⁰Nd	0.056	https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075

Description

The metal has a bright silvery metallic luster, Neodymium is one of the more reactive rare-earth metals and quickly tarnishes in air, forming an oxide that spalls off and exposes metal to oxidation. The metal, therefore, should be kept under light mineral oil or sealed in a plastic material. Neodymium exists in two allotropic forms, with a transformation from a double hexagonal to a body-centered cubic structure taking place at 863°C.

Users

Neodymium makes up about 18% of Misch metal, a material that is used to make flints for lighters. Neodymium is also a component of didymium glass, which is used to make certain types of welder's and glass blower's goggles. Neodymium is added to glass to remove the green color caused by iron contaminants. It can also be added to glass to create violet, red or gray colors. Some types of glass containing neodymium are used by astronomers to calibrate devices called spectrometers and other types are used to create artificial rubies for lasers. Some neodymium salts are used to color enamels and glazes.

Didymium, of which neodymium is a component, is used for coloring glass to make welders goggles. By itself, neodymium colors glass delicate shades ranging from pure violet through wine-red and warm gray. Light transmitted through such glass shows unusually sharp absorption bands. The glass has been used in astronomical work to produce sharp bands by which spectral lines may be calibrated. Glass containing neodymium can be used as a laser material to produce coherent light. Neodymium salts are also used as a colorant for enamels.

Compounds

See more information at the Neodymium compound page.

Element Forms

CID	Name	Formula	SMILES	Molecular Weight
23934	neodymium	Nd	[Nd]	144.24
3788361	neodymium(3+)	Nd+3	[Nd+3]	144.24
114848	neodymium-147	Nd	[147Nd]	146.91611
25087164	neodymium-143	Nd	[143Nd]	142.90982
71586741	neodymium-142	Nd	[142Nd]	141.90773
177666	neodymium-149	Nd	[149Nd]	148.92015
177494	neodymium-141	Nd	[141Nd]	140.90962
177598	neodymium-146	Nd	[146Nd]	145.91312
177623	neodymium-138	Nd	[138Nd]	137.9120
25087165	neodymium-145	Nd	[145Nd]	144.91258
44152648	neodymium-148	Nd	[148Nd]	147.91690
176415	neodymium-136	Nd	[136Nd]	135.9150
176987	neodymium-139	Nd	[139Nd]	138.9120
177620	neodymium-151	Nd	[151Nd]	150.92384
131708399	neodymium-144	Nd	[144Nd]	143.91009
131708400	neodymium-150	Nd	[150Nd]	149.92090

Handling And Storage

Neodymium has a low-to-moderate acute toxic rating. As with other rare earths, neodymium should be handled with care.

Isotopes

Stable Isotope Count	5
Summary	Natural neodymium is a mixture of seven stable isotopes. Fourteen other radioactive isotopes are recognized.

Isotopes in Geochronology

143Nd is a radiogenic isotope produced by decay of 147Sm, with a half-life of 1.06×1011 years. Thus, the isotope-amount ratio n(143Nd)/n(144Nd) can be used for dating rocks on long time scales and as a chemical tracer in geochemistry (Fig. IUPAC.60.1) [427], [428]. The very small accumulation of 142Nd in billion-year-old metamorphosed rocks from Greenland [from the relatively short-lived (about 68×106 years) alpha decay of 146Sm] provided evidence that the crust of the Earth formed before the young planet was more than 100×106 years old. This is because only a short amount of time could have elapse to incorporate the 146Sm parent radionuclide into the ancient Greenland minerals before it decayed [429], [430].

Fig. IUPAC.60.1: Cross plot of n(¹⁴³Nd)/n(¹⁴⁴Nd) isotope-amount ratio and n(¹⁴⁷Sm)/n(¹⁴⁴Nd) amount ratio for two periods of scheelite (calcium tungstate; ore of tungsten) mineralization (metamorphism) (modified from [428]). ¹⁴³Nd is produced by decay of ¹⁴⁷Sm. Rock containing higher amounts of ¹⁴⁷Sm at time of mineralization will over time produce higher amounts of ¹⁴³Nd (e.g. sample stage 3 K1 shear zone and sample stage 4 K2). Alternatively, rocks containing lower amounts of ¹⁴⁷Sm at time of mineralization will over time produce lower amounts of ¹⁴³Nd (e.g. sample stage 3 K1 gneiss and sample Brl). Samples from an older mineralization event will have proportionally more ¹⁴³Nd because of the longer accumulation time for ¹⁴³Nd; thus, the line through the bluish-fluorescent scheelites with an age of (319 ± 34)×10⁶ a has a substantially higher slope than the line through the whitish-bluish-fluorescent scheelites with an age of (29 ± 17)×10⁶ a. These lines from which age of mineralization (crystallization) can be determined are called isochrons.

[427] M. T. McCullocha, M. R. Perfita. Earth. Planet. Sci. Lett.56, 167 (1981).

[428] R. Eichhorn, R. Höll, E. Jagoutz, U. Schärer. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta61, 5005 (1997).

[429] M. G. Jackson, S. R. Hart, A. A. P. Koppers, H. Staudigel, J. Konter, J. Blusztajn, M. Kurz, J. A. Russell. Nature448, 684 (2007).

[430] G. Caro, B. Bourdon, J. L. Birck, S. Moorbath. Nature423, 428 (2003).

Isotopes Used as a Source of Radioactive Isotope(s)

146Nd has been used in the production of 147Pm (with a half-life of 2.6 years), via the reaction 146Nd (n, γ) 147Nd, which is followed by a subsequent electron decay reaction, 147Nd→ 147Pm+β - reaction. 147Pm is a radioactive power-generation source [431].

[431] C. S. Lee, Y. M. Wang, W. L. Cheng, G. Ting. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem.130, 21 (1988).

Isotope Mass and Abundance

Isotope	Atomic Mass (uncertainty) [u]	Abundance (uncertainty)
¹⁴²Nd	141.907 73(1)	0.271 52(40)	0.27152(40)
¹⁴³Nd	142.909 82(1)	0.121 74(26)	0.12174(26)
¹⁴⁴Nd	143.910 09(1)	0.237 98(19)	0.23798(19)
¹⁴⁵Nd	144.912 58(1)	0.082 93(12)	0.08293(12)
¹⁴⁶Nd	145.913 12(1)	0.171 89(32)	0.17189(32)
¹⁴⁸Nd	147.916 90(2)	0.057 56(21)	0.05756(21)
¹⁵⁰Nd	149.920 902(9)	0.056 38(28)	0.05638(28)

Atomic Mass, Half Life, and Decay

Nuclide	Atomic Mass and Uncertainty [u]	Half Life and Uncertainty	Discovery Year	Decay Modes, Intensities and Uncertainties [%]
¹²⁴Nd	123.951873 ± 0.000537 [Estimated]	500 ms [Estimated]		β⁺ ?; β⁺p ?
¹²⁵Nd	124.948395 ± 0.000429 [Estimated]	650 ms ± 150	1999	β⁺=100%; β⁺p>0%
¹²⁶Nd	125.942694 ± 0.000322 [Estimated]	1 s >200ns [Estimated]	2000	β⁺ ?; β⁺p ?
¹²⁷Nd	126.939978 ± 0.000322 [Estimated]	1.8 s ± 0.4	1983	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹²⁸Nd	127.935018 ± 0.000215 [Estimated]	5 s [Estimated]	1985	β⁺ ?
¹²⁹Nd	128.933038 ± 0.000217 [Estimated]	6.8 s ± 0.6	1977	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹²⁹Nd^m	128.933038 ± 0.000217 [Estimated]	2.6 s ± 0.4	2010	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹³⁰Nd	129.928506000 ± 0.00003	21 s ± 3	1977	β⁺=100%
¹³¹Nd	130.927248020 ± 0.000029541	25.4 s ± 0.9	1977	β⁺=100%; β⁺p=?
¹³²Nd	131.923321237 ± 0.000025985	1.56 m ± 0.10	1977	β⁺=100%
¹³³Nd	132.922348000 ± 0.00005	70 s ± 10	1977	β⁺=100%
¹³³Nd^m	132.922348000 ± 0.00005	~70 s	1993	β⁺=?; IT=?
¹³³Ndⁿ	132.922348000 ± 0.00005	301 ns ± 18	1993	IT=100%
¹³⁴Nd	133.918790207 ± 0.000012686	8.5 m ± 1.5	1970	β⁺=100%
¹³⁴Nd^m	133.918790207 ± 0.000012686	389 us ± 17	1969	IT=100%
¹³⁵Nd	134.918181318 ± 0.000020534	12.4 m ± 0.6	1970	β⁺=100%
¹³⁵Nd^m	134.918181318 ± 0.000020534	5.5 m ± 0.5	1970	β⁺≈100%; IT ?
¹³⁶Nd	135.914976061 ± 0.000012686	50.65 m ± 0.33	1968	β⁺=100%
¹³⁷Nd	136.914563099 ± 0.000012586	38.5 m ± 1.5	1970	β⁺=100%
¹³⁷Nd^m	136.914563099 ± 0.000012586	1.60 s ± 0.15	1970	IT=100%
¹³⁸Nd	137.911950938 ± 0.000012456	5.04 h ± 0.09	1965	β⁺=100%
¹³⁸Nd^m	137.911950938 ± 0.000012456	370 ns ± 5	1975	IT=100%
¹³⁹Nd	138.911951208 ± 0.000029545	29.7 m ± 0.5	1951	β⁺=100%
¹³⁹Nd^m	138.911951208 ± 0.000029545	5.50 h ± 0.20	1951	β⁺=87.0±1%; IT=13.0±1%
¹³⁹Ndⁿ	138.911951208 ± 0.000029545	276.8 ns ± 1.8	1980	IT=100%
¹⁴⁰Nd	139.909546130 ± 0.0000035	3.37 d ± 0.02	1949	ε=100%
¹⁴⁰Nd^m	139.909546130 ± 0.0000035	600 us ± 50	1962	IT=100%
¹⁴⁰Ndⁿ	139.909546130 ± 0.0000035	1.22 us ± 0.06	2008	IT=100%
¹⁴¹Nd	140.909616690 ± 0.000003417	2.49 h ± 0.03	1949	β⁺=100%; ε=97.28±1.6%; e⁺=2.72±1.6%
¹⁴¹Nd^m	140.909616690 ± 0.000003417	62.0 s ± 0.8	1960	IT≈100%; β⁺=0.032±0.8%
¹⁴²Nd	141.907728824 ± 0.000001348	Stable	1924	IS=27.153±4%
¹⁴²Nd^m	141.907728824 ± 0.000001348	16.5 us	1964	IT=100%
¹⁴³Nd	142.909819815 ± 0.000001347	Stable >3.1Ey	1933	IS=12.173±2.6%
¹⁴⁴Nd	143.910092798 ± 0.000001346	2.29 Py ± 0.16	1924	IS=23.798±1.9%; α=100%
¹⁴⁵Nd	144.912579151 ± 0.000001364	Stable >60Py	1933	IS=8.293±1.2%; α ?
¹⁴⁶Nd	145.913122459 ± 0.000001366	Stable >1.6Ey	1924	IS=17.189±3.2%; 2β^- ?; α ?
¹⁴⁷Nd	146.916105969 ± 0.000001368	10.98 d ± 0.01	1947	β^-=100%
¹⁴⁸Nd	147.916899027 ± 0.000002203	Stable >3.0Ey	1937	IS=5.756±2.1%; 2β^- ?; α ?
¹⁴⁹Nd	148.920154583 ± 0.000002205	1.728 h ± 0.001	1938	β^-=100%
¹⁵⁰Nd	149.920901322 ± 0.000001211	9.3 Ey ± 0.7	1937	IS=5.638±2.8%; 2β^-=100%
¹⁵¹Nd	150.923839363 ± 0.000001215	12.44 m ± 0.07	1938	β^-=100%
¹⁵²Nd	151.924691242 ± 0.000026276	11.4 m ± 0.2	1969	β^-=100%
¹⁵³Nd	152.927717868 ± 0.000002949	31.6 s ± 1.0	1987	β^-=100%
¹⁵³Nd^m	152.927717868 ± 0.000002949	1.10 us ± 0.04	1996	IT=100%
¹⁵⁴Nd	153.929597404 ± 0.0000011	25.9 s ± 0.2	1970	β^-=100%
¹⁵⁴Nd^m	153.929597404 ± 0.0000011	3.2 us ± 0.3	1970	IT=100%
¹⁵⁵Nd	154.933135598 ± 0.000009826	8.9 s ± 0.2	1986	β^-=100%
¹⁵⁶Nd	155.935370358 ± 0.0000014	5.06 s ± 0.13	1987	β^-=100%
¹⁵⁶Nd^m	155.935370358 ± 0.0000014	365 ns ± 145	1998	IT=100%
¹⁵⁷Nd	156.939351074 ± 0.000002294	1.15 s ± 0.03	1992	β^-=100%
¹⁵⁸Nd	157.942205620 ± 0.0000014	810 ms ± 30	1992	β^-=100%
¹⁵⁸Nd^m	157.942205620 ± 0.0000014	339 ns ± 20	2016	IT=100%
¹⁵⁹Nd	158.946619085 ± 0.000032	500 ms ± 30	2012	β^-=100%; β^-n ?
¹⁶⁰Nd	159.949839172 ± 0.00005	439 ms ± 37	1985	β^-=100%; β^-n ?
¹⁶⁰Nd^m	159.949839172 ± 0.00005	1.63 us ± 0.21	2016	IT=100%
¹⁶¹Nd	160.954664 ± 0.000429 [Estimated]	215 ms ± 76	2012	β^-=100%; β^-n ?
¹⁶²Nd	161.958121 ± 0.000429 [Estimated]	310 ms ± 200	2012	β^-=100%
¹⁶³Nd	162.963414 ± 0.000537 [Estimated]	80 ms >550ns [Estimated]	2018	β^- ?; β^-n ?

Information Sources

1. PubChem

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Atomic Mass Data Center (AMDC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

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https://www-nds.iaea.org/disclaimer.html

Nd
https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/
3. IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW)

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http://www.ciaaw.org/bylaws.htm

Neodymium
https://www.ciaaw.org/neodymium.htm
4. Jefferson Lab, U.S. Department of Energy

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Please see citation and linking information https https://www.jlab.org/privacy-and-security-notice

Neodymium
https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele060.html
5. Los Alamos National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy

LICENSE
https://about.lanl.gov/lanl-resources/web-policies/

Neodymium
https://periodic.lanl.gov/60.shtml
6. NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory

LICENSE
https://www.nist.gov/pml/database-disclaimer

Neodymium
https://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/Elements/elInfo.pl?element=60
7. IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI)

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Copyright (c) 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) contribution within Pubchem is provided under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, unless otherwise stated.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
8. PubChem Elements

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https://www.nlm.nih.gov/copyright.html

Neodymium

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