Neodymium

Lore & Background

Neodymium is not found naturally in metallic form or unmixed with other lanthanides, and it is usually refined for general use. It is fairly common—about as common as cobalt, nickel, or copper—and is widely distributed in the Earth's crust. Most of the world's commercial neodymium is mined in China, as is the case with many other rare-earth metals. The color of neodymium compounds comes from the Nd3+ ion and is often a reddish-purple, and this color changes with the type of lighting because of the interaction of the sharp light absorption bands of neodymium with ambient light enriched with the sharp visible emission bands of mercury, trivalent europium or terbium.

Reader's Guide

Neodymium's significance stems from its use in high-strength neodymium magnets, which are powerful permanent magnets widely used in products like microphones, professional loudspeakers, in-ear headphones, high-performance hobby DC electric motors, and computer hard disk drives, where low magnet mass or strong magnetic fields are required. Larger neodymium magnets are used in electric motors with high power-to-weight ratios, such as in hybrid cars, and in generators for aircraft and wind turbines. Neodymium is also used with various other substrate crystals, such as yttrium aluminium garnet in the Nd:YAG laser.

Did You Know?

• Neodymium is about as common in the Earth's crust as cobalt, nickel, or copper.
• Neodymium magnets are used in hybrid car electric motors and wind turbine generators.
• Neodymium has one of the most complex spectra of the elements.