List
A table listing the seventeen rare earth elements, their atomic number and symbol, the etymology of their names, and their main usages (see also Technological applications) is provided here. Some of the rare earths are named after the scientists who discovered or elucidated their elemental properties, and some after their geographical discovery.
| Z | Symbol | Name | Etymology | Selected applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Sc | Scandium | from Latin Scandia (Scandinavia), where the first rare earth ore was discovered. | Light aluminium-scandium alloy for aerospace components, additive in Mercury-vapor lamps. |
| 39 | Y | Yttrium | after the village of Ytterby, Sweden, where the first rare earth ore was discovered. | Yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) laser, yttrium vanadate (YVO4) as host for europium in TV red phosphor, YBCO high-temperature superconductors, yttrium iron garnet (YIG) microwave filters, energy-efficient light bulbs |
| 57 | La | Lanthanum | from the Greek "lanthanein", meaning to be hidden. | High refractive index glass, flint, hydrogen storage, battery-electrodes, camera lenses, fluid catalytic cracking catalyst for oil refineries |
| 58 | Ce | Cerium | after the dwarf planet Ceres, named after the Roman goddess of agriculture. | Chemical oxidizing agent, polishing powder, yellow colors in glass and ceramics, catalyst for self-cleaning ovens, fluid catalytic cracking catalyst for oil refineries, ferrocerium flints for lighters |
| 59 | Pr | Praseodymium | from the Greek "prasios", meaning leek-green, and "didymos", meaning twin. | Rare-earth magnets, lasers, core material for carbon arc lighting, colorant in glasses and enamels, additive in didymium glass used in welding goggles, ferrocerium firesteel (flint) products. |
| 60 | Nd | Neodymium | from the Greek "neos", meaning new, and "didymos", meaning twin. | Rare-earth magnets, lasers, violet colors in glass and ceramics, ceramic capacitors |
| 61 | Pm | Promethium | after the Titan Prometheus, who brought fire to mortals. | Nuclear batteries |
| 62 | Sm | Samarium | after Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets, who discovered the rare earth ore samarskite. | Rare-earth magnets, lasers, neutron capture, masers |
| 63 | Eu | Europium | after the continent of Europe. | Red and blue phosphors, lasers, mercury-vapor lamps, NMR relaxation agent |
| 64 | Gd | Gadolinium | after Johan Gadolin (1760–1852), to honor his investigation of rare earths. | Rare-earth magnets, high refractive index glass or garnets, lasers, X-ray tubes, computer memories, neutron capture, MRI contrast agent, NMR relaxation agent |
| 65 | Tb | Terbium | after the village of Ytterby, Sweden. | Green phosphors, lasers, fluorescent lamps |
| 66 | Dy | Dysprosium | from the Greek "dysprositos", meaning hard to get. | Rare-earth magnets, lasers |
| 67 | Ho | Holmium | after Stockholm (in Latin, "Holmia"), native city of one of its discoverers. | Lasers |
| 68 | Er | Erbium | after the village of Ytterby, Sweden. | Lasers, vanadium steel |
| 69 | Tm | Thulium | after the mythological northern land of Thule. | Portable X-ray machines |
| 70 | Yb | Ytterbium | after the village of Ytterby, Sweden. | Infrared lasers, chemical reducing agent |
| 71 | Lu | Lutetium | after Lutetia, the city which later became Paris. | PET Scan detectors, high refractive index glass |
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