The name derives from the mineral gadolinite, in which it was found, and that had been named for the Finnish rare earth chemist Johan Gadolin. Gadolinium was discovered by the Swiss chemist Jean-Charles Galissard de Marignac in 1886, who produced a white oxide in a samarskite mineral. In 1886, the French chemist Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran gave the name gadolinium.
Spectroscopic evidence for the existence of gadolinium was first observed by the Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in the minerals didymia and gadolinite ((Ce, La, Nd, Y)2FeBe2Si2O10) in 1880. Today, gadolinium is primarily obtained from the minerals monazite ((Ce, La, Th, Nd, Y)PO4) and bastnasite ((Ce,La,Y)CO3F).
From gadolinite, a mineral named for Gadolin, a Finnish chemist. The rare earth metal is obtained from the mineral gadolinite. Gadolinia, the oxide of gadolinium, was separated by Marignac in 1880 and Lecoq de Boisbaudran independently isolated it from Mosander's yttria in 1886.
As with other related rare-earth metals, gadolinium is silvery white, has a metallic luster, and is malleable and ductile. At room temperature, gadolinium crystallizes in the hexagonal, close-packed alpha form. Upon heating to 1235°C, alpha gadolinium transforms into the beta form, which has a body-centered cubic structure.
The metal is relatively stable in dry air, but tarnishes in moist air and forms a loosely adhering oxide film which falls off and exposes more surface to oxidation. The metal reacts slowly with water and is soluble in dilute acid.
Gadolinium has the highest thermal neutron capture cross-section of any known element (49,000 barns).
Usuarios
Gadolinium has the greatest ability to capture thermal neutrons of all known elements and can be used as control rods for nuclear reactors. Unfortunately, the two isotopes best suited for neutron capture, gadolinium-155 and gadolinium-157, are present in gadolinium in small amounts. As a result, gadolinium control rods quickly lose their effectiveness.
Gadolinium can be combined with yttrium to form garnets that have applications in microwave technology. Gadolinium can be alloyed with iron, chromium and other metals to improve their workability and their resistance to high temperatures and oxidation. Gadolinium compounds are used to make phosphors for color televisions.
Gadolinium yttrium garnets are used in microwave applications and gadolinium compounds are used as phosphors in color television sets.
The metal has unusual superconductive properties. As little as 1 percent gadolinium improves the workability and resistance of iron, chromium, and related alloys to high temperatures and oxidation.
Gadolinium ethyl sulfate has extremely low noise characteristics and may find use in duplicating the performance of amplifiers, such as the maser.
The metal is ferromagnetic. Gadolinium is unique for its high magnetic movement and for its special Curie temperature (above which ferromagnetism vanishes) lying just at room temperature, meaning it could be used as a magnetic component that can sense hot and cold.
Sources
Gadolinium is found in several other minerals, including monazite and bastnasite, both of which are commercially important. With the development of ion-exchange and solvent extraction techniques, the availability and prices of gadolinium and the other rare-earth metals have greatly improved. The metal can be prepared by the reduction of the anhydrous fluoride with metallic calcium.
Compounds
See more information at the Gadolinium compound page.
Element Forms
CID
Name
Formula
SMILES
Molecular Weight
23982
gadolinium
Gd
[Gd]
157.25
168050
gadolinium(3+)
Gd+3
[Gd+3]
157.25
161049
gadolinium-153
Gd
[153Gd]
152.92176
166988
gadolinium-159
Gd
[159Gd]
158.92640
177487
gadolinium-160
Gd
[160Gd]
159.92706
177560
gadolinium-158
Gd
[158Gd]
157.92411
189930
gadolinium-161
Gd
[161Gd]
160.92968
9898866
gadolinium-148
Gd
[148Gd]
147.91812
177519
gadolinium-149
Gd
[149Gd]
148.91935
177520
gadolinium-151
Gd
[151Gd]
150.92035
177522
gadolinium-147
Gd
[147Gd]
146.91910
177523
gadolinium-146
Gd
[146Gd]
145.91832
10219555
gadolinium-155
Gd
[155Gd]
154.92263
11171109
gadolinium-156
Gd
[156Gd]
155.92213
11966234
gadolinium(2+)
Gd+2
[Gd+2]
157.25
185533
gadolinium-145
Gd
[145Gd]
144.9217
44154792
gadolinium-152
Gd
[152Gd]
151.91980
10130059
gadolinium-153(3+)
Gd+3
[153Gd+3]
152.92176
10219563
gadolinium-157
Gd
[157Gd]
156.92397
11400878
gadolinium-154
Gd
[154Gd]
153.92087
51352783
gadolinium-159(3+)
Gd+3
[159Gd+3]
158.92640
Isotopes
Stable Isotope Count
5
Summary
Natural gadolinium is a mixture of seven isotopes, but 17 isotopes of gadolinium are now recognized. Although two of these, 155Gd and 157Gd, have excellent capture characteristics, they are only present naturally in low concentrations. As a result, gadolinium has a very fast burnout rate and has limited use as a nuclear control rod material.
Isotopes in Earth/Planetary Science
The lunar surface is continuously exposed to cosmic radiation, and the interaction between planetary material and cosmic rays produces secondary neutrons. The neutron flux can be investigated using the large neutron capture cross sections of 149Sm, 155Gd, and 157Gd. For example, 157Gd will absorb neutrons and be converted to 158Gd. On a cross plot of n(158Gd)/n(160Gd) isotope-amount ratio and n(157Gd)/n(160Gd) isotope-amount ratio (Fig. IUPAC.64.1), values will move from the lower right corner to the upper left corner of the cross plot with increasing time or increasing flux.
Fig. IUPAC.64.1: Cross plot of n(¹⁵⁸Gd)/n(¹⁶⁰Gd) and n(¹⁵⁷Gd)/n(¹⁶⁰Gd) isotope-amount ratios of samples from Apollo lunar sites A-12 and A-15 (modified from [452]).
[452] H. Hidaka, M. Ebihara, S. Yoneda. “Samarium and gadolinium isotopic compositions of lunar samples”, in 30th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Isotopes in Medicine
The addition of 157Gd to Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) has been shown to be more effective at targeting tumors than the previous method of using only 10B for the treatment (Fig. IUPAC.64.2) [453]. 153Gd (with a half-life of 0.66 years) is used in the production of photon line sources (an optical source that emits one or more spectrally narrow lines as opposed to a continuous spectrum) to manufacture 153Gd line sources [454]. 153Gd is also used as a photon source of the dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) technique that is used to measure bone mineral content (BMC). Studies for this technique have been conducted in horses and humans [455], [456].
Fig. IUPAC.64.2: Patient undergoing neutron therapy. The red lasers cross to target the patient’s tumor. A beam of neutrons is fired at the target to stop the growth and eradicate the tumor. (Photo Source: Reidar Hahn, Fermilab Visual Media Services Photo Database, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) [457].
[453] C. N. Culbertson, T. Jevremovic. Phys. Med. Biol.48, 3943 (2003).
[454] V. M. Lebedev, J. N. Gordeev, E. A. Karelin, V. D. Gavrilov. Appl. Radiat. Isot.53, 829 (2000).
[455] A. Moure, P. Reichmann, H. R. Gamba. Phys. Med. Biol.48, 3851 (2003).
[456] P. Tothill, M. A. Smith, D. Sutton. Br. J. Radiol.56, 829 (1983).
[457] R. Hahn. “Neutron therapy – Christine Andorf with patient in treatment room, Fermilab neg. no: 05-0086-04D”, in Fermilab Visual Media Services Photo Database.
7. IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI)
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