Neodymium

Silvery-white luster metal, belongs to the rare earth metals. In air, it has a slightly better corrosion resistance than cerium, but develops a pink-violet oxide layer which can flake off in air.

SymbolNd
Atomic number60
Atomic weight144.24
Specific thermal weight at 20°C7.003 g/cm3
Melting point1024° C
Boiling point3100°C
Melting heat7.1 kJ/mol
Specific thermal capacity at 20°C190 kJ/(kg · K)
Thermal conductivity17 kJ/(m · K)

The metal is used, for example, in iron-boron-neodymium alloys for permanent magnets, which are produced according to a special procedure with rapid cooling during casting. Neodymium, together with cerium, lanthanum, and praseodymium, is also contained in the type AE magnesium alloys as an alloying element (e.g. AE42, AE44).