Handbook of Rare Earth Elements

Analytics

Alfred Golloch

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9783110696363
• eBook ISBN: 9783110696646
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Analytic Chemistry

The reference work describes in its new edition still more up-to-date methods for the recycling and purifi cation processes of rare earth element analysis for industrial and scientific purposes alike. Due to their vast applications, from computer hardware to mobile phones and electric cars, REEs have become a valuable resource for our modern life. New topics: emission spectroscopy, analysis of environmental samples and pharmaceutical applications.

1 Introduction

Alfred Golloch

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of chemical elements in the periodic table, including the 15 elements from lanthan (La,57) to lutetium (Lu, 71), scandium (Sc,21) and yttrium (Y,39). This grouping was agreed by IUPAC [1]. The elements scandium and yttrium differ in their atomic structure from the lanthanides but their chemical and physical properties are very similar.

Figure 1.1: Periodic table of elements [2].

The abundance of the REEs in the earth’s crust follows a pattern in the periodic table. Lanthanides with even atomic numbers are more common in nature than lanthanides with odd atomic numbers.

Figure 1.2 shows the pattern of the REEs abundance in the earth’s crust and it can also be noted that the abundance of the REEs with lower atomic numbers is higher than the abundance of the REEs with higher atomic numbers. Regarding this scope the first group is called “Light REEs, LREEs” and the second one “Heavy REEs, HREEs” (See Table 1.1). Other attempts have been made to subdivide the REEs into groups.

Figure 1.2: Abundance of the rare earth elements in the earth’s crust (Harkin rule) [2].

Table 1.1:Light and heavy REEs.

LREE	atomic number	HREE	atomic number
Sc	21	Y	30
La	57	Gd	64
Ce	58	Tb	65
Pr	59	Dy	66
Nd	60	Ho	67
Pm	61	Er	68
Sm	62	Tm	69
Eu	63	Yb	70
		Lu	71

In most deposits of REEs the share in LREEs is higher than 90% and the percentage of HREEs 2–3%. For “High-Tech” applications mainly HREEs are used and the demand for these elements is obvious.

Figure 1.3: Main applications of rare earth elements [3].

References

[1]International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC): Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry, Definition Rules 1970, Butterworths, London 1971. →

[2]Riedel E, Janiak C. Anorganische Chemie, Berlin/New York, DeGruyter, 2011. a, b

[3]Öko-Institut e.v. Hintergrundpapier Seltene Erden, Stand: Januar 2011, Seltene Erden-Daten und Fakten S. 5. →

2 Analytics of rare earth elements – basics and methods

Alfred Golloch

2.1 Electronic ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• dedication
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Analytics of rare earth elements – basics and methods
• Part I: Sample preparation
• Part II: Methods for the elemental analysis of rare earths and for the analysis of rare earth containing molecular compounds
• Part III: Application of rare earth elements analysis
• Index