India is planning to increase its neodymium production by nine times, reaching 500 tons by the end of FY27.
About Neodymium
Neodymium is a chemical element (symbol Nd, atomic number 60) that is a soft, silvery-white metal belonging to the lanthanide series of rare-earth elements. It is well-known for its use in creating the strongest type of permanent magnets available commercially.
Key Properties
- Appearance: A bright, silvery metal that rapidly tarnishes (oxidizes) in air, forming a flaky reddish-purple or yellowish coating.
- Abundance: Despite its "rare earth" classification, neodymium is relatively common in the Earth's crust, about as abundant as copper or nickel. It is primarily found in the minerals monazite and bastnäsite.
- Reactivity: It is a highly reactive, electropositive metal that reacts with water and acids.
- Oxidation State: The most common and stable oxidation state is +3.
- Magnetic Ordering: In its pure metallic form, neodymium is paramagnetic at room temperature, but it contributes to strong ferromagnetism when alloyed with iron and boron.
Primary Uses
The most significant use of neodymium is in the production of high-strength permanent magnets, often referred to as NIB or NdFeB magnets, made from an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron. These powerful magnets enable the miniaturization of modern technology and are critical in:
- Electronics: Microphones, professional loudspeakers, in-ear headphones, computer hard disk drives, and mobile phones.
- Electric Motors & Generators: Essential components in hybrid and electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators, and electric power steering systems, where a high power-to-weight ratio is needed.
- Medical Applications: Nd:YAG lasers, which use neodymium-doped crystals, are used in laser surgery for treating skin cancers and in ophthalmology.
- Optics: Neodymium compounds are used as a colorant in glass and ceramics, producing shades of violet, red, or gray. Didymium glass (a mix of neodymium and praseodymium glass) is used in welding and glassblowing goggles to filter out intense yellow glare.
Discovery and Name
Neodymium was discovered in 1885 by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach, who separated it from a substance previously thought to be an element called didymium. He named it "neodymium" from the Greek words neos (new) and didymos (twin), due to its close association with praseodymium, the other "new twin" element he found in didymium.
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