DOCSLIB.ORG

The Strategy of Rare Earth Elements and Their Role in Industrial Development

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Strategy of Rare Earth Elements and Their Role in Industrial Development International Journal of Advanced Research and Publications ISSN: 2456-9992 The Strategy Of Rare Earth Elements And Their Role In Industrial Development Imtithal Ali Mohamed Daffall Ministry of energy and mining Geological research authority of Sudan P. box 410. - PH-00249111660167 [email protected] Abstract: In light of the world’s search for new, clean and sustainable sources of energy, and the trend towards (renewable energy) that mainly depends on what has become called green technology) (mainly derived from air and the sun), the problem of the need for modern technologies has emerged into rare earth elements whose prices have increased Significantly (due to the scarcity of existence and the difficulty of extraction and monopoly), which negatively affected the cost while increasing the demand for it significantly. Hence, countries began to develop strategies for restoration Recycling and manufacturing of these accurate technologies is the strategic importance of these elements by using them at the global level as an alternative source of energy in addition to their use in the manufacture of superconducting electrical vectors that enter in advanced industries such as phones, hard disks and magnetic resonance devices and the use of analogues of these elements in radiotherapy and radar devices. The paper reviews the waste management strategy to avoid or minimize as much environmental pollution as possible. The sequence of waste management strategies (and the implications for raising the efficiency and productivity of materials and energy) must be followed and applied. It is based on principles: the use of clean production techniques - the formation of closed circuits (recycling) - the environmentally appropriate disposal of waste and waste and the establishment of strict restrictions to limit exports. The paper reviewed the role of the Sudanese Ministry of Minerals represented by the General Authority for Geological Research in developing doctoral and master's research on these strategic minerals and providing the authority's laboratories with all techniques to facilitate research methods and exploring these rare elements and promoting them regionally and globally. In conclusion, this paper presents a proposal for an Arab strategic plan to develop the exploitation of these minerals and preserve the country's wealth. Keywords: clean and sustainable sources, green technology, modern technologies, Minerals. Rare-earth elements in the periodic table Rare earth location 1. Introduction was gadolinite, a mineral composed of cerium, yttrium Arare-earth element (REE) or Arare-earth metal (REM) , iron, silicon and other elements. This mineral was as defined by IUPAC, is one of aset of seventeen chemical extracted from a mine in the village of ytterby in Sweden, elements in periodic table, specifically the fifteen four of the rare-earth elements bear names derived from lanthanide, as well as scandium and Yttrium. Scandium this signal location. Rare-earth elements became known to and Yttrium are consider rare –earth element s because the world with the discovery of the black minerals they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the ''ytterbite'' [renamed to godolinite in 1800] by lieutenant lanthanides and exhibit similar chemical properties. R- carl axel Arrhenius in 1787, at a quarry in the village of earth elements are cerium (Ce) , ytterby Sweden. Rae are divided into two categories ,light Dysprosium(Dy),erbium(Er), eroupium (Eu), gadolinium rare [lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, praseodymium] and (Gd), holmium (Ho) , lanthanum (La) , Lutetium (Lu) , heavy rare [terbium, europium, lutetium, gadolinium]. neodymium (Nd) , praseodymium (Pr) , promethium (Pr) ,samarium (Sm) , scandium (Sc) , terbium (Tb), thulium 2 Source of Rare Earth Elements: (Tm) , ytterbium (Yb) , and yttrium(Y). Despite their The principle source of rare-earth elemens are the name , rare-earth element are – with the exception of the minerals bastnasite , monazite , and Loparite and the radioactive promethium- relatively plentiful in Earth’s lateritic ion-adsorptionclay. Despite their high relative crust, with cerium being the 25th most abundant element at abundance , rare-earth minerals are more difficult to mine 68 parts per million , or as abundant as copper . They are and extract than eguivalent sources of transition metals not especially rare, but they tend to occur together in (duein part to their similar chemical properties ), making nature and are difficult to separate from one another. the rare-earth elements relatively expensive. Their However, because of their geochemical properties, rare- industrial use was very limited until efficient sepration earth elements are typically dispersed and not often found techniques were developed, such as ion exchange , concentrated as rare-earth minerals in economically fractional ,crystallization and liquid- liquid extraction exploitable ore deposits the first such mineral discovered during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Volume 4 Issue 2, February 2020 38 www.ijarp.org International Journal of Advanced Research and Publications ISSN: 2456-9992 Fig (1) bastnasite (rare earth minerals) Other source Specifically, china has announced regulation on export For example significant quantities of rare-earth oxides are and a crackdown on smuggling. On September 1, 2009, found in tailing accumulate from 50 years of uranium ore, china announced plans to reduce its export quota to 35000 shale and lopraite mining at sillamae, Estonia. Due to the tons per year in 2010-2015 to conserve scarce resources rising prices of rare earth, extraction of these oxides has and protect the environment. On august 29, 2014, the become economically viable. The country currently export WTO ruled that china had broken free-trade agreement, around 3.000 tons per year, representing around 2% of and the WTO said in the summary of key findings that the world production. Similar resources are suspected in the panel concluded that. The overall effect of the foreign and western United States, where gold rush –era mines are domestic restrictions is to encourage domestic extrication believed to have discarded large amounts of rare earths, and secure preferential use of those materials by Chinese because they had no value at the time, these rare-earth manufactures. China declared that is would implement the oxides are used as tracers to determine which parts of ruling on September 26. 2014 ,but would need some time drainage basin are eroding. to do so, by january5.2015, china had lifted all quotas from the export of rare earth , however export licences will still be required. Major use and application of rare-earth elements: Rare-earths are essential in many application, and Recycling therefore affect arrange of industries in the Canadian and Another recently developed source of rare earths is global economies, ,,there is dependency on RRE,, some of electronic waste and other wastes that have significant which are absolutely essential to develop clean rare- earth components .New advances in recycling technologies and various electronic applications . To technology have made extraction of rare earths from these illustrate this point , examples of high – technology goods materials more feasible , and recycling plants are currently that require REE : Hybrid vehicles, rechargeable batteries operating in japan, where there is an estimated 300.000 , mobile phones, LCD screens , laptops , wind turbines, tons of rare earths stored in un used electronics .In France medical imaging equipment , radar system , catalytic , the Rhodia group is setting up two factories, in La convert, alloy that are more corrosion-resistant . New Rochelle and saint- Fons that will produce 200 tons of demand has recently strained supply, and there is growing rare. concern that the world may soon face a shortage of the rare earths in several years from 2009 worldwide demand Mineral resources in the Northern State for rare-earth elements is expected to exceed supply by (Republic of Sudan):- 40.000 tonnes annually unless major new sources are Northern State has a diverse geology includes all types of developed. igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The ages of these rocks range from late pan African to the Cenozoic. These concerns have intensified due to the The basement rocks are considered as part of the Arabian action of china. The predominant supplier. Shield and Africa, which diversity in the rocks. Arabian - Nubian Shield extends from the west of the Nile east wards to the western Arabian Peninsula. The basement Volume 4 Issue 2, February 2020 39 www.ijarp.org International Journal of Advanced Research and Publications ISSN: 2456-9992 Complex occupies about 50% of Sudan area. The methodology information available from previous projects and the 33 samples(29samples) collected from study area from results of research and mineral exploration expedition surface and trenches, analysis to determination rare earth indicate to the presence of mineralization of gold, copper, elements and rare earth by XRF instrument, we show silver, iron, titanium, chromium. Previous studies have that in table(1,2,3) and figure( 2,3,4,5,6,) below, The shown that the geological conditions and other factors in sample included alkaline and acidic rocks in Elbir area the Northern state correspond to some extent with the show that XRD Result(7,8) . 4 samples taken for ideal models recorded regionally and globally. environmental study (2soil sample and 2water sample ) show Table (4,5) . selected sample
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Evolution and Understanding of the D-Block Elements in the Periodic Table Cite This: Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 9408 Edwin C
    Dalton Transactions View Article Online PERSPECTIVE View Journal | View Issue Evolution and understanding of the d-block elements in the periodic table Cite this: Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 9408 Edwin C. Constable Received 20th February 2019, The d-block elements have played an essential role in the development of our present understanding of Accepted 6th March 2019 chemistry and in the evolution of the periodic table. On the occasion of the sesquicentenniel of the dis- DOI: 10.1039/c9dt00765b covery of the periodic table by Mendeleev, it is appropriate to look at how these metals have influenced rsc.li/dalton our understanding of periodicity and the relationships between elements. Introduction and periodic tables concerning objects as diverse as fruit, veg- etables, beer, cartoon characters, and superheroes abound in In the year 2019 we celebrate the sesquicentennial of the publi- our connected world.7 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. cation of the first modern form of the periodic table by In the commonly encountered medium or long forms of Mendeleev (alternatively transliterated as Mendelejew, the periodic table, the central portion is occupied by the Mendelejeff, Mendeléeff, and Mendeléyev from the Cyrillic d-block elements, commonly known as the transition elements ).1 The periodic table lies at the core of our under- or transition metals. These elements have played a critical rôle standing of the properties of, and the relationships between, in our understanding of modern chemistry and have proved to the 118 elements currently known (Fig. 1).2 A chemist can look be the touchstones for many theories of valence and bonding.
    [Show full text]
  • Spectrophotometric Determination of Praseodymium by 1,4
    Arab Journal of Sciences & Research publishing Issue (2), Volume (1) September 2015 ISSN: 2518 - 5780 Spectrophotometric Determination of Praseodymium by 1,4- Dihydroxyanthraquinone after its Selective Separation from Rosetta Monazite Rare Earth Concentrate by Solvent Extraction Abdel Fattah N. A a Sadeek A. S b Ali B. H a Abdo, A. A a Weheish, H. L.a a Nuclear Materials Authority || Egypt b Faculty of Science || Zagazig University || Egypt Abstract: A rare earths concentrate of Rosetta monazite assays about 44, 23, 16.94 and 5.91 % for Ce, La, Nd and Pr respectively. Separation of cerium by air oxidation at 200oC. Selective separation of Pr by D2EHPA at pH1 followed by a sensitive spectrophotometric method which described for the determination of praseodymium (Pr) with l,4- dihydroxyanthraquinone . The calibration curve was linear from 0.1 to 12 µgml -1 praseodymium. The influences of various parameters and reaction conditions for maximum colour development were investigated. The relative standard deviation for determination of 1 µgml-1 praseodymium has found to be 1.3 after 5 repeated determinations; percent error 5.02%, molar absorptivity (ε) was 1.23x106M-1 cm-1and detection limit was 0.1µgml-1. The method for determination of praseodymium showed good accuracy and selectivity. INTRODUCTION Rare earth elements (REEs), represent one of a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides, as well as scandium and yttrium (Connelly, N.G., et al., 2005). It was discovered of the black mineral Gadolinite by Carl Axel Arrhenius in 1787 (Gschneidner, and Cappellen, 1987). Traditionally, the REEs are divided into two groups on the basis of atomic weight; the light REEs are lanthanum through gadolinium (atomic numbers 57 through 64); and the heavy REEs comprise terbium through lutetium (atomic numbers 65 through 71).
    [Show full text]
  • Yttrium Från Ytterby Och Litium Från Utö – Del 1 En Topografisk Karta Stockholm Vid 1200-Talets Slut
    Grundämnenas upptäckt Grundämnenas upptäckt Exkursioner till Ytterby och Utö 6-7 juni eller 8-9 juni 6 juni Färje 1371: Strömkajen 08:30 Ytterby 09:30 09:45 – 10:45 Ytterby gruva Buss 682: Ytterby 11:03 Engarn 11:07 Buss 670: Engarn 11:09 Tekniska högskolan 11:44 Buss 4: Östra station 11:52 S:t Eriksplan 12:02 12:15 – 14:00 Rörstrands slott (lunch och visning) 14:00 – 16:00 Birkastan 7 juni Tåg 43: Stockholm City 08:16 Västerhaninge station 08:48 Buss 846: Västerhaninge station 09:09 Årstra brygga 09:22 Färje 2173: Årsta brygga 09:30 Gruvbryggan (Utö) 10:10 10:15 – 14:15 Rävstavik och Utö gruvor (matsäck) Färje 2178: Gruvbryggan (Utö) 14:30 Årsta brygga 15:25 Buss 846: Årstra brygga 15:32 Västerhaninge station 15:50 Tåg 43: Västerhaninge station 15:57 Stockholm City 16:29 Grundämnenas upptäckt Exkursioner till Ytterby och Utö 6-7 juni eller 8-9 juni 8 juni Färje 951: Strömkajen 09:15 Ytterby 10:40 10:55 – 11:45 Ytterby gruva Buss 682: Ytterby 12:03 Engarn 12:07 Buss 670: Engarn 12:09 Tekniska högskolan 12:44 Buss 4: Östra station 12:52 S:t Eriksplan 13:02 13:15 – 15:00 Rörstrands slott (lunch och visning) 15:00 – 17:00 Birkastan 9 juni Tåg 43: Stockholm City 08:16 Västerhaninge station 08:48 Buss 846: Västerhaninge station 09:09 Årstra brygga 09:22 Färje 2173: Årsta brygga 09:30 Gruvbryggan (Utö) 10:10 10:15 – 14:15 Rävstavik och Utö gruvor (matsäck) Färje 2178: Gruvbryggan (Utö) 14:30 Årsta brygga 15:25 Buss 846: Årstra brygga 15:32 Västerhaninge station 15:50 Tåg 43: Västerhaninge station 15:57 Stockholm City 16:29
    [Show full text]
  • GLOBAL RARE-EARTH PRODUCTION: HISTORY and OUTLOOK History – the Discovery
    Center for Strategic and International Studies Rare Earth Elements: Geology, Geography, and Geopolitics James B. Hedrick Hedrick Consultants, Inc. U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. Burke, Virginia December 15, 2010 Washington, DC GLOBAL RARE-EARTH PRODUCTION: HISTORY AND OUTLOOK History – The Discovery . The rare earths were discovered in 1787 by Swedish Army Lieutenant Carl Axel Arrhenius . Carl, an amateur mineralogist collected the black mineral ytterbite, later renamed gadolinite, from a small feldspar and quartz mine at Ytterby, Sweden . With similar chemical structures the rare earths proved difficult to separate . It was not until 1794 that Finnish chemist Johann Gadolin separated the first impure yttrium oxide from the mineral ytterbite History – The Discovery History – The Commercialization . The rare earths were commercialized when the incandescent lamp mantle industry was established in 1884 with mantles of zirconium, lanthanum, and yttrium oxides with later improvements requiring only the oxides of thorium and cerium. The lamp mantle was discovered by Baron Carl Auer von Welsbach . The mantles also used small amounts of neodymium and praseodymium as an indelible brand name Welsbach label History – The Early Mining . Rare earths were first produced commercially in the 1880s with the mining in Sweden and Norway of the rare-earth thorium phosphate mineral monazite . Foreign Production Brazil produced monazite as early as 1887 India produced monazite starting in 1911 . Domestic Production Monazite production in the United States was first recorded in 1893 in North Carolina - a small tonnage of monazite was reportedly mined in 1887 Monazite mining in South Carolina began in 1903 History – The Processing . Three main methods for separating and refining the rare- earth elements since they were discovered .
    [Show full text]
  • EMD Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) Committee
    EMD Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) Committee EMD Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) Mid-Year Committee Report Michael D. Campbell, P.G., P.H., Chair December 12, 2011 Vice-Chairs: Robert Odell, P.G., (Vice-Chair: Industry), Consultant, Casper, WY Steven N. Sibray, P.G., (Vice-Chair: University), University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE Robert W. Gregory, P.G., (Vice-Chair: Government), Wyoming State Geological Survey, Laramie, WY Advisory Committee: Henry M. Wise, P.G., Eagle-SWS, La Porte, TX Bruce Handley, P.G., Environmental & Mining Consultant, Houston, TX James Conca, Ph.D., P.G., Director, Carlsbad Research Center, New Mexico State U., Carlsbad, NM Fares M Howari, Ph.D., University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, TX Hal Moore, Moore Petroleum Corporation, Norman, OK Douglas C. Peters, P.G., Consultant, Golden, CO Arthur R. Renfro, P.G., Senior Geological Consultant, Cheyenne, WY Karl S. Osvald, P.G., Senior Geologist, U.S. BLM, Casper WY Jerry Spetseris, P.G., Consultant, Austin, TX Committee Activities During the past 6 months, the Uranium Committee continued to monitor the expansion of the nuclear power industry and associated uranium exploration and development in the U.S. and overseas. New power-plant construction has begun and the country is returning to full confidence in nuclear power as the Fukushima incident is placed in perspective. India, Africa and South America have recently emerged as serious exploration targets with numerous projects offering considerable merit in terms of size, grade, and mineability. During the period, the Chairman traveled to Columbus, Ohio to make a presentation to members of the Ohio Geological Society on the status of the uranium and nuclear industry in general (More).
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution and Understanding of the D-Block Elements in the Periodic Table Cite This: Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 9408 Edwin C
    Dalton Transactions View Article Online PERSPECTIVE View Journal | View Issue Evolution and understanding of the d-block elements in the periodic table Cite this: Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 9408 Edwin C. Constable Received 20th February 2019, The d-block elements have played an essential role in the development of our present understanding of Accepted 6th March 2019 chemistry and in the evolution of the periodic table. On the occasion of the sesquicentenniel of the dis- DOI: 10.1039/c9dt00765b covery of the periodic table by Mendeleev, it is appropriate to look at how these metals have influenced rsc.li/dalton our understanding of periodicity and the relationships between elements. Introduction and periodic tables concerning objects as diverse as fruit, veg- etables, beer, cartoon characters, and superheroes abound in In the year 2019 we celebrate the sesquicentennial of the publi- our connected world.7 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. cation of the first modern form of the periodic table by In the commonly encountered medium or long forms of Mendeleev (alternatively transliterated as Mendelejew, the periodic table, the central portion is occupied by the Mendelejeff, Mendeléeff, and Mendeléyev from the Cyrillic d-block elements, commonly known as the transition elements ).1 The periodic table lies at the core of our under- or transition metals. These elements have played a critical rôle standing of the properties of, and the relationships between, in our understanding of modern chemistry and have proved to the 118 elements currently known (Fig. 1).2 A chemist can look be the touchstones for many theories of valence and bonding.
    [Show full text]
  • From Bedrock to Porcelain a Study Regarding The
    Bachelor Thesis Degree Project in Geology 15 hp From Bedrock to Porcelain A study regarding the history of porcelain, Ytterby mine and the discovery of yttrium in Sweden Timmy Kärrström Stockholm 2017 Department of Geological Sciences Stockholm University SE-106 91 Stockholm Sweden Abstract Porcelain is a translucent vitreous material that consists of clay (kaolin), feldspar and quartz which has been mixed and heated together to cause a metamorphic reaction. In Sweden, the Porcelain industry was established in 1726 at Rörstrands castle in Stockholm and is today one of the oldest industries in Europe to produce porcelain. Around the 1790’s Rörstrand got its feldspars and quartz from the Ytterby mine that was located at Resarö in Stockholm’s archipelago making the raw material somewhat easy to access. Rörstrand owned the mine in the 1850’s to 1926. During the time Ytterby mine was active, an amateur geologist by the name of Carl Axel Arrhenius, discovered an unusual black mineral in the quarry ore in 1787 which later led to the discovery of 8 new rare earth elements (REE) with the help of several Swedish chemists throughout time. These elements are Yttrium, Ytterbium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Thulium, Erbium, Holmium and scandium. This study will focus on the Swedish porcelain industry and how it has evolved throughout history and Rörstrand’s role in the discovery of yttrium. PAGE 1 Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 1
    [Show full text]
  • The Coordination Chemistry of Solvated Metal Ions in DMPU
    The Coordination Chemistry of Solvated Metal Ions in DMPU A Study of a Space-Demanding Solvent Daniel Lundberg Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences Department of Chemistry Uppsala Doctoral thesis Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala 2006 Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae 2006: 23 ISSN 1652-6880 ISBN 91-576-7072-2 © 2006 Daniel Lundberg, Uppsala Tryck: SLU Service/Repro, Uppsala 2006 Abstract Lundberg, D., 2006, The Coordination Chemistry of Solvated Metal Ions in DMPU – A Study of a Space-Demanding Solvent. Doctor’s dissertation. ISSN 1652-6880, ISBN 91-576-7072-2 This thesis summarizes and discusses the results of several individual studies on the solvation of metal ions in the solvent N,N’-dimethylpropyleneurea, DMPU, including the iron(II), iron(III), zinc(II), cadmium(II), and lanthanoid(III) ions. These studies have shown that the solvation process in DMPU is sometimes very different to those in corresponding aqueous systems. This is due to the the space-demanding properties the DMPU molecule has when coordinating to metal ions, with its two methyl groups close to the coordinating oxygen atom. The methyl groups effectively hinder/hamper the metal ion from reaching the coordination numbers present in hydrate and solvate complexes with solvent molecules with much lower spatial demands. The investigations were performed with different X-ray techniques, including extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), large angle X-ray scattering (LAXS), and single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and included both studies in solution (EXAFS and LAXS) and solid state (EXAFS and XRD). A coordination number reduction, compared to the corresponding hydrates, was found in all of the studied systems, except cadmium(II).
    [Show full text]
  • Unicornis Nr 1.2019
    UNICORNIS Apotekarsocietetens sektion för farmaci- och läkemedelshistoria Nummer 1 Anno 2019 Apoteket Svanen i Lund och dess framtid UNICORNIS 1 2019 | 1 Nya redaktören har ordet 9 november. Det blir föredrag om Paracelsus och hans medi- Efter 30 år i industrin åter- cinska värld samt om medeltida medicin. vände jag till Uppsala Uni- I september arrangerar de farmacistuderande en student- versitet för att studera weekend på Apotekarsocieteten. Sektionen har beslutat att idé- och lärdomshistoria. medverka med fria museivisningar. Vidare har sektionssty- Det möjliggjorde sedan ett relsen beslutat att medverka med ett satellitsymposium till forskningssamarbete med Eufeps möte med dess exekutivkommitté den 15 juni 2020 i förste bibliotekarien vid Hag- Göteborg. Föredrag om apoteksväsendets historia, Carl Wil- strömerbiblioteket Hjalmar helm Scheele och ACO-rörelsen står på programmet. Fors där vi under tre år har rekonstruerat tidigmodern På gång i Apoteks och läkemedelsmuséet farmaci med ”Hjärnes Testa- I mitten av maj invigdes tre nya utställningsrum på muséet, mentes droppar” – men även se separat notis. Sektionsstyrelsen har lämnat förslag till den antika medicinen ”The- Musei och biblioteksnämnden om disposition av de 2 x 250 riac Andromachalis” – som 000 kr, som APS:s styrelse avsatt till muséet för 2019/2020. studieobjekt. Arbetet har för min del varit laborativt inriktat Bland förslagen märks viss ommöblering i syfte att få en vå- på divisionen för farmakognosi (inom avd. f. Läkemedels- ning om läkemedelshistoria, bl.a. läkemedelsursprung (plan kemi, Farm fak) och bl.a. inneburit att vi försökt bedöma be- 2), en om apotekshistoria (plan 1) och en om industrihistoria tydelsen av lukt och smak hos ingående ingredienser ur ett (entréplan).
    [Show full text]
  • Dalton Transactions
    Dalton Transactions View Article Online PERSPECTIVE View Journal | View Issue Evolution and understanding of the d-block elements in the periodic table Cite this: Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 9408 Edwin C. Constable Received 20th February 2019, The d-block elements have played an essential role in the development of our present understanding of Accepted 6th March 2019 chemistry and in the evolution of the periodic table. On the occasion of the sesquicentenniel of the dis- DOI: 10.1039/c9dt00765b covery of the periodic table by Mendeleev, it is appropriate to look at how these metals have influenced rsc.li/dalton our understanding of periodicity and the relationships between elements. Introduction and periodic tables concerning objects as diverse as fruit, veg- etables, beer, cartoon characters, and superheroes abound in In the year 2019 we celebrate the sesquicentennial of the publi- our connected world.7 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. cation of the first modern form of the periodic table by In the commonly encountered medium or long forms of Mendeleev (alternatively transliterated as Mendelejew, the periodic table, the central portion is occupied by the Mendelejeff, Mendeléeff, and Mendeléyev from the Cyrillic d-block elements, commonly known as the transition elements ).1 The periodic table lies at the core of our under- or transition metals. These elements have played a critical rôle standing of the properties of, and the relationships between, in our understanding of modern chemistry and have proved to the 118 elements currently known (Fig. 1).2 A chemist can look be the touchstones for many theories of valence and bonding.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics and Nationalism in the Naming of Chemical Elements
    Names 39.3 (September 1991) Politics and Nationalism in the NaIDing of ChelDical Elements Henri Diament Abstract The naming of chemical elements, whether discovered in antiquity or during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries or, more recently, artificially produced in laboratories, has typically been politically motivated. Names from geographical entities, such as nation-sUltes, reflect nationalism, regionalism, or municipal pride. Nationalism also plays a role when elements are named for famous people. A new system, designed by chemists to name newly produced elements on a mnemonic basis, is also politically motivated, because it is designed to do away with international squabbles in naming, but it is unwieldy and subject to potential ridicule. ***** In a book rather far removed from the realm of chemistry, but much closer to onomastics even though not dealing with it directly, Walter J. Ong states something chemists have known for a long time but names researchers may not have fully considered in the past: ... names do give human beings power over what they name: without learning a vast store of names, one is simply powerless to understand, for example, chemistry and to practice chemical engineering. And so with all other intellectual knowledge. (33) A similar point could be made for medical, architectural, or any number of other nomenclatures. But, as we shall see, chemical nomenclature is rather sui generis. In this instance, onomastics is a bridge between the "two cultures," the humanities and science. The field of chemistry beats all records as regards the sheer number of names it has to deal with. Organic compounds, for instance, far more numerous than inorganic ones, number anywhere between one and several million items: "N amen ffir Millionen Individuen," as one German popularizer of chemistry has entitled the section of his book dealing with nomenclature (Rudolph 91).
    [Show full text]
  • YTTRIUM Element Symbol: Y Atomic Number: 39
    YTTRIUM Element Symbol: Y Atomic Number: 39 An initiative of IYC 2011 brought to you by the RACI BRETT LITTLETON www.raci.org.au YTTRIUM Element symbol: Y Atomic number: 39 Yttrium is a soft, silver-metallic, lustrous and highly crystalline transition metal in group three. The tale of its discovery is quite interesting, involving several individuals. Lt. Carl Axel Arrhenius (1757–1824), born in Stockholm, served as a lieutenant at the Svea artilleriregemente stationed in Vaxholm; taking part in the campaign in Finland in 1788. During his time in Vaxholm he visited the feldspar mine in Ytterby. He found a dark mineral which he named ytterbite after the nearby village. After Arrhenius gave a sample of the new mineral to Johan Gadolin (1760–1852), a Finnish chemist and Mineralogist, Godolin subsequently discovered the oxide of yttrium in Arrhenius’ sample in 1789. Anders Gustaf Ekeberg (1767–1813), a Swedish chemist, confirmed Gadolin’s analysis, naming the new oxide yttria. Ytriium is relatively abundant in the earth’s crust; being the 28th most common element therein, and 400 times more common than silver. Interestingly, lunar rock samples collected during the Apollo program have unexpectedly high yttrium content. The most important use of yttrium is in making phosphors, such as the red phosphors used in television cathode ray tube displays and in LEDs. Other uses include the production of electrodes, electrolytes, electronic filters, lasers and superconductors. The radioactive isotope yttrium-90 is used in a range of different drugs, for the treatment of cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia and bone cancers. Provided by the element sponsor sponsor Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick ARTISTS DESCRIPTION Yttrium is used in making phospors, such as the red phosphors used in TV cathode ray tubes and in LEDS.
    [Show full text]