| Origin of Name |
After the mineral, gadolinite, named
after
Finnish mineralogist,
Johan
Gadolin |
| Date and Place of Discovery |
1880 in France |
| Discovered by |
Jean de Marignac |
| Common Compounds |
|
| Interesting facts |
- It is never found in nature as the free element.
- It is found in rare minerals like
monazite and
bastnäsite
- It is relatively stable in dry air unlike the other rare earth elements.
- It tarnishes quickly when exposed to moist air.
- It reacts slowly with water.
- It dissolves in dilute acid.
|
| Common Uses |
- Microwaves
- Color television tubes
- Compact discs and computer memory chips
- Nuclear marine propulsion systems
- Alloys for iron and chromium
- Intravenous radio contrast agents and magnetic resonance imaging in the medical field
- Neutron radiography
|
