Discovery Information
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Who: Jean de Marignac |
When: 1880 |
Where: Switzerland |
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Name Origin
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Sources
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Gadolinium is never found in nature in elemental form. It is obtained from many rare minerals such as bastnasite, monazite
and trace amounts in gadolinite.
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Uses
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Compounds of gadolinium are used in making phosphors for colour TV tubes and in the manufacture of compact discs and computer
memory. Gallium Gadolinium Garnet (Gd3Ga5O12) is a material with good optical properties, and is used in fabrication of various optical components and as substrate material
for magneto-optical films.
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Gadolinium is used for making gadolinium yttrium garnets, which have microwave applications. |
Solutions of organic gadolinium complexes are used as intravenous radiocontrast agents to enhance images in medical magnetic
resonance imaging. Because of their paramagnetic properties, gadolinium compounds are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
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Notes
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Gadolinium becomes superconductive below a critical temperature of 1.083 K (-272.067'C). It is strongly magnetic at room temperature. |