Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium. Scandium and yttrium are considered rare earth elements because they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides and exhibit similar chemical properties. Despite their name, most rare earth elements are not particularly rare in the Earth’s crust; however, they are rarely found in concentrated forms, which makes their extraction economically challenging.
The lanthanides are metals that are similar in their properties, including their shininess and reactivity. These elements are key components in a wide range of technological applications due to their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties. They play crucial roles in the manufacture of modern technologies such as smartphones, computers, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and various defense systems. Specific uses include powerful permanent magnets, phosphors in color television and computer screens, catalysts in automotive catalytic converters, and components in rechargeable batteries.
The extraction, refinement, and processing of rare earth elements can be environmentally challenging and technically complex, which has led to concerns about the supply and geopolitical implications of these critical materials. China has been the dominant supplier of rare earth elements, controlling a significant portion of the world’s production and reserves, which has prompted other countries to develop their own REE resources to ensure a stable supply for future technological development.
The element known as Livermorium occupies a fringe yet fascinating corner of modern chemistry and nuclear physics. As one of the heaviest and most exotic entries in the modern periodic table, it raises questions about the limits of matter, the behavior of electrons under extreme conditions, and the techniques required to create and study atoms […]
Moscovium is one of the most recent entrants to the periodic table of elements, a product of advanced nuclear physics rather than nature. As a member of the row of artificially created, extremely heavy atoms, it exists only fleetingly in laboratory conditions and has become a focal point for questions about the limits of nuclear
Flerovium occupies an unusual place at the edge of the periodic table: a superheavy, man-made element whose fleeting existence has opened windows onto nuclear structure, relativistic chemistry and the practical limits of element synthesis. Researchers study flerovium not because it has everyday uses, but because each atom produced is a high-value piece of experimental evidence
This article explores the exotic world of the superheavy element known as nihonium, its scientific discovery, how it is produced, its predicted and partially observed properties, and the broader context of research into the heaviest members of the periodic table. The element numbered element 113 occupies a place at the frontier of modern nuclear and
Copernicium is a compelling and exotic member of the periodic table, occupying a place among the heaviest known elements. Synthesized in minute quantities in particle accelerators, this element captures the imagination of physicists and chemists alike because it confronts the limits of nuclear stability and challenges our understanding of chemical behavior under extreme relativistic effects.
Roentgenium is an intriguing member of the periodic table whose existence is tied entirely to high-energy nuclear experiments. Although virtually unknown outside specialist circles, this synthetic and extremely radioactive element has become a valuable probe into the limits of atomic and nuclear physics. In this article I will describe how roentgenium was discovered and produced,
Darmstadtium is an exotic, short-lived element that exists only under the extreme conditions of modern nuclear laboratories. It occupies a remote position on the periodic table as a member of the row of heaviest known elements and is intriguing for both nuclear physicists and theoretical chemists. Because only a handful of atoms have ever been
The element known as Meitnerium occupies a unique place at the frontier of modern chemistry and nuclear physics. It is a product of human ingenuity rather than a component of the natural world, created atom by atom in high-energy collisions. Although it has no everyday uses and appears only fleetingly in specialized laboratories, Meitnerium plays
Hassium is a rare and exotic member of the periodic table that exists only fleetingly under highly controlled laboratory conditions. As one of the heaviest elements produced by humans, it has captured the interest of nuclear physicists and chemists seeking to test the limits of atomic structure, investigate the influence of very large nuclear charge
Bohrium is a rare and fleeting member of the periodic table, occupying a position among the heaviest of the known elements. Although only produced in minute quantities by particle accelerators and surviving for mere seconds to minutes, it has played an important role in expanding our understanding of nuclear reactions, the limits of atomic stability,
