Neodymium (Nd)

Neodymium (symbol Nd) is the chemical element with atomic number 60: a lanthanide (rare earth), solid at 0 °C, with an atomic mass of 144.24 u. Discovered in 1885 (Carl Auer von Welsbach).

Neodymium is the star of the rare earths. Combined with iron and boron, it forms the strongest permanent magnets known, essential to electric motors, wind turbines, hard drives and earbuds. It also powers one of the most widely used lasers in the world, the Nd:YAG laser.

Key facts

Atomic number: 60
Symbol: Nd
French name: Néodyme
Atomic mass: 144.24 u
Molar mass: 144.24 g/mol
Family: Lanthanides
Position: period 6, f-block
State at 0 °C: Solid
Melting point: 1,023.9 °C
Boiling point: 3,073.9 °C
Density: 7.01 g/cm³
Electronegativity (Pauling): 1.14
First ionization energy: 533 kJ/mol
Atomic radius: 185 pm
Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f⁴ 6s²
Abundance in Earth's crust: 41.5 ppm (27th most abundant element)
Indicative price: 58 $/kg (order of magnitude)
Radioactive: no
Discovery: 1885, Carl Auer von Welsbach

Origin of the name

From the Greek neos didymos, “new twin.”

What does neodymium look like?

A bright, silvery-white metal that tarnishes quickly in air, so it is stored under oil or in a vacuum. Its salts are pinkish-violet and change hue with the lighting.

Where is neodymium found?

About 40 ppm of Earth's crust, nearly three times as much as lead. It typically makes up 15 to 20% of the rare earths in bastnäsite and monazite.

Natural sources

Bastnäsite
Monazite

How is neodymium produced?

After the ore is concentrated, a long cascade of solvent extraction (hundreds of stages) separates it from its neighbors. The metal is produced by electrolysis of molten salts. China accounts for about 70% of mining and nearly 90% of refining and magnet manufacturing.

Top producers

China
United States
Myanmar
Australia

What is neodymium used for?

NdFeB magnets in electric-car motors and wind turbines.
Hard drives, loudspeakers, earbuds and phone vibration motors.
Nd:YAG lasers (infrared at 1,064 nm) for industry, surgery and cosmetic treatments.
Violet-tinted glass and filters for astronomy.

In everyday life

Wireless earbuds
An e-bike or e-scooter motor
A computer hard drive
The magnetic clasp of a bag or case
A green laser pointer (frequency-doubled Nd laser)

Role in living things

No biological role. Poorly absorbed by the body.

Hazards of neodymium

Not very toxic chemically. The real danger comes from the magnets: two large ones can slam together violently, shatter into shards or pinch fingers, and a child who swallows several small magnets can suffer a perforated intestine.

Cosmic origin

Dying stars: Made slowly in red giants (stars like the Sun at the end of their lives).
Neutron stars: Created when two neutron stars collide — the “forge” of gold.

History of neodymium

Isolated in 1885 by Carl Auer von Welsbach from “didymium.” It remained a curiosity until 1982–1984, when Masato Sagawa (Sumitomo) and, independently, a General Motors team invented the neodymium-iron-boron magnet, which revolutionized electrical engineering.

Did you know?

A neodymium magnet can lift more than a thousand times its own weight.
A large direct-drive offshore wind turbine contains several hundred kilos of magnets per megawatt.
Neodymium glass looks violet in daylight and bluish under fluorescent tubes.

Isotopes of neodymium

Natural neodymium is a blend of seven isotopes, two of which are actually radioactive with colossal half-lives. The decay of samarium-147 into neodymium-143 serves as a clock for dating the oldest rocks.

neodymium-142: 27.152% of natural neodymium, stable
neodymium-143: 12.174% of natural neodymium, stable. Produced by the decay of samarium-147: samarium–neodymium dating is used on rocks and meteorites.
neodymium-144: 23.798% of natural neodymium, radioactive, half-life 2.29 × 10¹⁵ years
neodymium-145: 8.293% of natural neodymium, stable
neodymium-146: 17.189% of natural neodymium, stable
neodymium-147: radioactive, half-life 11 days
neodymium-148: 5.756% of natural neodymium, stable
neodymium-150: 5.638% of natural neodymium, radioactive, half-life 9.3 × 10¹⁸ years. Undergoes double beta decay, an extremely rare process studied to unlock the secrets of the neutrino.

Common compounds

Neodymium magnet (Nd₂Fe₁₄B)

Related elements

Same family (lanthanides): Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Promethium (Pm), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb), Lutetium (Lu).