Neodymium is a chemical element with symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is a rare and very precious metal that belongs to the family of rare earth metals. It is silvery, metallic white and very malleable, which makes it very easy to work with.

Neodymium has a relatively low density (7 g/cm3). Its melting point is 1021°C and its boiling point is 3074°C. Its thermal conductivity is particularly low, lower than that of iron and copper.

Neodymium is very reactive and easily combines with oxygen and chlorine to form compounds.

Thanks to its low density and low thermal conductivity, neodymium is very useful for the manufacture of composite materials that offer excellent thermal resistance and low density. It is also widely used in the production of mechanical parts, motors, wires and cables, as well as in optical applications, such as high-power lasers.

Neodymium is also a very precious metal which is closely monitored by the government. It is used in military and space applications, in particular for the shielding of vehicles and electronic systems.

1010°
3127°

144.242

2
3

[Xe] 4f4 6s2

2
8
18
22
8
2

1.14

5.525

Synthetic

Radioactive

Liquid

Gaseous

Electronic configuration diagram

Characteristics

Name	neodymium
Number	60
Atomic	144.242
Symbol	Nd
Fusion	1010
Boiling	3127
Density	7.007
Period	6
Group	0

Discovery	1885 von Welsbach
Abundance	41.5
Radius	2.6
Electronegativity	1.14
Ionization	5.525
Number of isotopes	16
Electronic configuration	[Xe] 4f4 6s2
Oxidation states	2,3
Electron by energy level	2,8,18,22,8,2

Minerals containing this element : 101

Mineral	Hardness	Density
Aeschynite-(Nd)	5.00 / 6.00	4.60
Agardite-(Ce)	3.00 / 3.00	3.72
Agardite-(Nd)	3.00 / 4.00	3.72
Allanite-(La)	6.00 / 6.00	3.93
Allanite-(Nd)
Aluminocerite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	4.68
Arapovite	5.50 / 6.00	3.43
Arsenoflorencite-(Nd)	3.50 / 3.50	4.05
Askagenite-(Nd)	6.00 / 6.00	4.38
Astrocyanite-(Ce)	2.00 / 3.00	3.80
Bastnäsite-(Nd)	4.00 / 4.50	5.23
Biraite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	4.76
Britholite-(Ce)	5.50 / 5.50	4.20
Bussyite-(Ce)		3.00
Calcioancylite-(Nd)	4.00 / 4.50
Calciopetersite	3.00 / 3.00	3.33
Carbokentbrooksite	5.00 / 5.00	3.14
Carlgieseckeite-(Nd)	5.00 / 5.00	3.91
Cebaite-(Nd)	4.50 / 5.00	4.80
Cerite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	4.70
Cervandonite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00
Chukhrovite-(Nd)	3.50 / 4.00	2.42
Churchite-(Nd)	3.00 / 3.50
Coskrenite-(Ce)
Decrespignyite-(Y)	4.00 / 4.00	3.64
Dissakisite-(La)	6.50 / 7.00	3.79
Diversilite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	3.68
Fergusonite-(Nd)	5.50 / 6.50	4.50
Fergusonite-(Nd)-	5.50 / 6.50
Ferronordite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	3.54
Florencite-(Nd)	5.00 / 6.00	3.50
Fluorbritholite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	4.66
Fluorcalciobritholite	5.50 / 5.50	4.20
Françoisite-(Ce)
Françoisite-(Nd)	3.00 / 3.00	4.06
Gadolinite-(Nd)
Galgenbergite-(Ce)	2.00 / 3.00
Gatelite-(Ce)	6.00 / 7.00	4.51
Gramaccioliite-(Y)	6.00 / 6.00	4.66
Graulichite-(Ce)		3.90
Gysinite-(Nd)	4.00 / 4.50	4.82
Håleniusite-(La)		6.50
Hingganite-(Ce)	5.00 / 6.00	4.28
Hingganite-(Y)	5.00 / 6.00
Hydroxylbastnäsite-(Nd)	1.00 / 2.00
Ikranite	5.00 / 5.00	2.82
Ilímaussite-(Ce)	4.00 / 4.00	3.60
Johnsenite-(Ce)	5.00 / 6.00	3.20
Kamotoite-(Y)		3.93
Kapustinite	6.00 / 6.00	2.78
Kozoite-(La)		4.16
Kozoite-(Nd)		4.77
Kuannersuite-(Ce)	4.50 / 5.50	4.66
Kukharenkoite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00	4.65
Lakargiite	8.00 / 8.50	4.59
Lanthanite-(Nd)	2.50 / 3.00	2.81
Levinsonite-(Y)		2.18
Manganiandrosite-(Ce)
Manganiandrosite-(La)		4.21
Mckelveyite-(Nd)	3.00 / 3.50	3.47
Mendeleevite-(Nd)	5.00 / 5.50	3.16
Menezesite	4.00 / 4.00	4.18
Monazite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.50	4.80
Monazite-(La)	5.00 / 5.50	4.80
Monazite-(Nd)	5.00 / 5.50	4.80
Monazite-(Sm)		5.51
Moskvinite-(Y)	5.00 / 5.00	2.91
Nioboaeschynite-(Nd)	5.00 / 6.00
Orthojoaquinite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	4.10
Paratooite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00
Parisite-(Nd)	4.00 / 5.00	4.20
Percleveite-(Ce)	6.00 / 6.00	5.21
Petersenite-(Ce)	3.00 / 3.00	3.69
Petersite-(Y)	3.00 / 4.00	3.41
Piergorite-(Ce)	5.50 / 6.00
Plumboagardite	3.00 / 3.00	3.74
Polyakovite-(Ce)	5.50 / 6.00	4.75
Qaqarssukite-(Ce)	3.00 / 4.00
Retzian-(La)	3.00 / 4.00	4.49
Retzian-(Nd)	3.00 / 4.00	4.45
Rhabdophane-(Nd)	3.00 / 4.00	4.00
Samarskite-(Yb)	5.00 / 6.00	7.03
Sazhinite-(La)	3.00 / 3.00
Schuilingite-(Nd)	3.00 / 4.00	5.20
Shabaite-(Nd)	2.50 / 2.50	3.13
Stavelotite-(La)		4.49
Stillwellite-(Ce)	6.50 / 6.50	4.57
Synchysite-(Nd)	4.50 / 4.50	4.21
Törnebohmite-(Ce)	4.50 / 4.50	4.90
Tundrite-(Ce)	3.00 / 3.00	4.08
Tundrite-(Nd)	3.00 / 3.00	3.70
Uedaite-(Ce)	5.00 / 6.00	4.19
Vanadoandrosite-(Ce)
Västmanlandite-(Ce)	6.00 / 6.00	4.51
Vitusite-(Ce)	4.50 / 4.50	3.60
Voronkovite	5.00 / 5.00	2.97
Wakefieldite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00	4.70
Wakefieldite-(Nd)
Yttrotungstite-(Ce)	1.00 / 1.00	5.96