Gadolinium [Gd] (CAS-ID: 7440-54-2) locate me
An: 64 N: 93 Am: 157.25
Group Name: Lanthanoid
Block: f-block  Period: 6 (lanthanoid)
State: solid at 298 K
Colour: silvery white Classification: Metallic
Boiling Point: 3546K (3273'C)
Melting Point: 1585K (1312'C)
Density: 7.90g/cm3
Shell Structure diagram | Atomic Radius diagram
Isotopes | More Info
Discovery Information
Who: Jean de Marignac
When: 1880
Where: Switzerland
Name Origin
Sources
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.
Uses
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.
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).
Notes
Gadolinium becomes superconductive below a critical temperature of 1.083 K (-272.067'C). It is strongly magnetic at room temperature.
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