Sample records for ultra-low rare earth

  1. Demonstration of ultra-low NA rare-earth doped step index fiber for applications in high power fiber lasers.

    PubMed

    Jain, Deepak; Jung, Yongmin; Barua, Pranabesh; Alam, Shaiful; Sahu, Jayanta K

    2015-03-23

    In this paper, we report the mode area scaling of a rare-earth doped step index fiber by using low numerical aperture. Numerical simulations show the possibility of achieving an effective area of ~700 um² (including bend induced effective area reduction) at a bend diameter of 32 cm from a 35 μm core fiber with a numerical aperture of 0.038. An effective single mode operation is ensured following the criterion of the fundamental mode loss to be lower than 0.1 dB/m while ensuring the higher order modes loss to be higher than 10 dB/m at a wavelength of 1060 nm. Our optimized modified chemical vapor deposition process in conjunction with solution doping process allows fabrication of an Yb-doped step index fiber having an ultra-low numerical aperture of ~0.038. Experimental results confirm a Gaussian output beam from a 35 μm core fiber validating our simulation results. Fiber shows an excellent laser efficiency of ~81%and aM² less than 1.1.

  2. Tunable, rare earth-doped solid state lasers

    DOEpatents

    Emmett, John L.; Jacobs, Ralph R.; Krupke, William F.; Weber, Marvin J.

    1980-01-01

    Laser apparatus comprising combinations of an excimer pump laser and a rare earth-doped solid matrix, utilizing the 5d-4f radiative transition in a rare earth ion to produce visible and ultra-violet laser radiation with high overall efficiency in selected cases and relatively long radiative lifetimes.

  3. Extraction of rare earth elements from low-grade Bauxite via precipitation reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusrini, E.; Nurani, Y.; Bahari, ZJ

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this research was to determine the optimum hydrometallurgical parameters to extract the rare earth elements (REE) from low-grade bauxite through acid leaching and precipitation reaction. REE or lanthanide recovery by a precipitation method with sodium sulphate and sodium phosphate as precipitation agents is reported where the effect of pH and recovery of REE are described. The metal composition of REE in low-grade bauxite after treatment were analyzed by ICP-OES. The total recovery values of REE elements at the first precipitation reaction using sodium sulphate as the precipitation agent at pH 3.5 showed ~68.2% of lanthanum, ~18.9% cerium, and ~7.8% yttrium. Lanthanum was the rare-earth element present at the highest concentration in the low-grade bauxite after the series treatments. An optimum pH of 3.5 for precipitation of rare-earth elements using sodium sulphate was demonstrated where this method is recommended for the extraction of REE elements from low-grade bauxite.

  4. Ultra-low rare earth element content in accreted ice from sub-glacial Lake Vostok, Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gabrielli, Paolo; Planchon, Frederic; Barbante, Carlo; Boutron, Claude F.; Petit, Jean Robert; Bulat, Sergey; Hong, Sungmin; Cozzi, Giulio; Cescon, Paolo

    2009-10-01

    This paper reports the first rare earth element (REE) concentrations in accreted ice refrozen from sub-glacial Lake Vostok (East Antarctica). REE were determined in various sections of the Vostok ice core in order to geochemically characterize its impurities. Samples were obtained from accreted ice and, for comparison, from the upper glacier ice of atmospheric origin (undisturbed, disturbed and glacial flour ice). REE concentrations ranged between 0.8-56 pg g -1 for Ce and 0.0035-0.24 pg g -1 for Lu in glacier ice, and between <0.1-24 pg g -1 for Ce and <0.0004-0.02 pg g -1 for Lu in accreted ice. Interestingly, the REE concentrations in the upper accreted ice (AC 1; characterized by visible aggregates containing a mixture of very fine terrigenous particles) and in the deeper accreted ice (AC 2; characterized by transparent ice) are lower than those in fresh water and seawater, respectively. We suggest that such ultra-low concentrations are unlikely to be representative of the real REE content in Lake Vostok, but instead may reflect phase exclusion processes occurring at the ice/water interface during refreezing. In particular, the uneven spatial distribution (on the order of a few cm) and the large range of REE concentrations observed in AC 1 are consistent with the occurrence/absence of the aggregates in adjacent ice, and point to the presence of solid-phase concentration/exclusion processes occurring within separate pockets of frazil ice during AC 1 formation. Interestingly, if the LREE enrichment found in AC 1 was not produced by chemical fractionation occurring in Lake Vostok water, this may reflect a contribution of bedrock material, possibly in combination with aeolian dust released into the lake by melting of the glacier ice. Collectively, this valuable information provides new insight into the accreted ice formation processes, the bedrock geology of East Antarctica as well as the water chemistry and circulation of Lake Vostok.

  5. Ultra-low rare earth element content in accreted ice from sub-glacial Lake Vostok, Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barbante, C.; Gabrielli, P.; Turetta, C.; Planchon, F.; Boutron, C.; Petit, J. R.; Bulat, S.; Hong, S.; Cozzi, G.; Cescon, P.

    2009-12-01

    We report the first rare earth element (REE) concentrations in accreted ice refrozen from sub-glacial Lake Vostok (East Antarctica). REE were determined in various sections of the Vostok ice core in order to geochemically characterize its impurities. Samples were obtained from accreted ice and, for comparison, from the upper glacier ice of atmospheric origin (undisturbed, disturbed and glacial flour ice). REE concentrations ranged between 0.8-56 pg g-1 for Ce and 0.0035- 0.24 pg g-1 for Lu in glacier ice, and between <0.1-24 pg g-1 for Ce and <0.0004-0.02 pg g-1 for Lu in accreted ice. Interestingly, the REE concentrations in the upper accreted ice (AC1;characterized by visible aggregates containing a mixture of very fine terrigenous particles) and in the deeper accreted ice (AC2; characterized by transparent ice) are lower than those in fresh water and seawater, respectively. We suggest that such ultra-low concentrations are unlikely to be representative of the real REE content in Lake Vostok, but instead may reflect phase exclusion processes occurring at the ice/water interface during refreezing. In particular, the uneven spatial distribution (on the order of a few cm) and the large range of REE concentrations observed in AC1 are consistent with the occurrence/absence of the aggregates in adjacent ice, and point to the presence of solid-phase concentration/exclusion processes occurring within separate pockets of frazil ice during AC1 formation. Interestingly, if the LREE enrichment found in AC1 was not produced by chemical fractionation occurring in Lake Vostok water, this may reflect a contribution of bedrock material, possibly in combination with aeolian dust released into the lake by melting of the glacier ice. Collectively, this valuable information provides new insight into the accreted ice formation processes, the bedrock geology of East Antarctica as well as the water chemistry and circulation of Lake Vostok.

  6. Effects of rare-earth co-doping on the local structure of rare-earth phosphate glasses using high and low energy X-ray diffraction.

    PubMed

    Cramer, Alisha J; Cole, Jacqueline M; FitzGerald, Vicky; Honkimaki, Veijo; Roberts, Mark A; Brennan, Tessa; Martin, Richard A; Saunders, George A; Newport, Robert J

    2013-06-14

    Rare-earth co-doping in inorganic materials has a long-held tradition of facilitating highly desirable optoelectronic properties for their application to the laser industry. This study concentrates specifically on rare-earth phosphate glasses, (R2O3)x(R'2O3)y(P2O5)(1-(x+y)), where (R, R') denotes (Ce, Er) or (La, Nd) co-doping and the total rare-earth composition corresponds to a range between metaphosphate, RP3O9, and ultraphosphate, RP5O14. Thereupon, the effects of rare-earth co-doping on the local structure are assessed at the atomic level. Pair-distribution function analysis of high-energy X-ray diffraction data (Q(max) = 28 Å(-1)) is employed to make this assessment. Results reveal a stark structural invariance to rare-earth co-doping which bears testament to the open-framework and rigid nature of these glasses. A range of desirable attributes of these glasses unfold from this finding; in particular, a structural simplicity that will enable facile molecular engineering of rare-earth phosphate glasses with 'dial-up' lasing properties. When considered together with other factors, this finding also demonstrates additional prospects for these co-doped rare-earth phosphate glasses in nuclear waste storage applications. This study also reveals, for the first time, the ability to distinguish between P-O and P[double bond, length as m-dash]O bonding in these rare-earth phosphate glasses from X-ray diffraction data in a fully quantitative manner. Complementary analysis of high-energy X-ray diffraction data on single rare-earth phosphate glasses of similar rare-earth composition to the co-doped materials is also presented in this context. In a technical sense, all high-energy X-ray diffraction data on these glasses are compared with analogous low-energy diffraction data; their salient differences reveal distinct advantages of high-energy X-ray diffraction data for the study of amorphous materials.

  7. Accumulation of rare earth elements by siderophore-forming Arthrobacter luteolus isolated from rare earth environment of Chavara, India.

    PubMed

    Emmanuel, E S Challaraj; Ananthi, T; Anandkumar, B; Maruthamuthu, S

    2012-03-01

    In this study, Arthrobacter luteolus, isolated from rare earth environment of Chavara (Quilon district, Kerala, India), were found to produce catechol-type siderophores. The bacterial strain accumulated rare earth elements such as samarium and scandium. The siderophores may play a role in the accumulation of rare earth elements. Catecholate siderophore and low-molecular-weight organic acids were found to be present in experiments with Arthrobacter luteolus. The influence of siderophore on the accumulation of rare earth elements by bacteria has been extensively discussed.

  8. Rare Earth Garnet Selective Emitter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lowe, Roland A.; Chubb, Donald L.; Farmer, Serene C.; Good, Brian S.

    1994-01-01

    Thin film Ho-YAG and Er-YAG emitters with a platinum substrate exhibit high spectral emittance in the emission band (epsilon(sub lambda) approx. = 0.75, sup 4)|(sub 15/2) - (sup 4)|(sub 13/2),for Er-YAG and epsilon(sub lambda) approx. = 0.65, (sup 5)|(sub 7) - (sup 5)|(sub 8) for Ho-YAG) at 1500 K. In addition, low out-of-band spectral emittance, epsilon(sub lambda) less than 0.2, suggest these materials would be excellent candidates for high efficiency selective emitters in thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems operating at moderate temperatures (1200-1500 K). Spectral emittance measurements of the thin films were made (1.2 less than lambda less than 3.0 microns) and compared to the theoretical emittances calculated using measured values of the spectral extinction coefficient. In this paper we present the results for a new class of rare earth ion selective emitters. These emitters are thin sections (less than 1 mm) of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) single crystal with a rare earth substitutional impurity. Selective emitters in the near IR are of special interest for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion. The most promising solid selective emitters for use in a TPV system are rare earth oxides. Early spectral emittance work on rare earth oxides showed strong emission bands in the infrared (0.9 - 3 microns). However, the emittance outside the emission band was also significant and the efficiency of these emitters was low. Recent improvements in efficiency have been made with emitters fabricated from fine (5 - 10 microns) rare earth oxide fibers similar to the Welsbach mantle used in gas lanterns. However, the rare earth garnet emitters are more rugged than the mantle type emitters. A thin film selective emitter on a low emissivity substrate such as gold, platinum etc., is rugged and easily adapted to a wide variety of thermal sources. The garnet structure and its many subgroups have been successfully used as hosts for rare earth ions, introduced as substitutional

  9. The Not-So-Rare Earths.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muecke, Gunter K.; Moller, Peter

    1988-01-01

    Describes the characteristics of rare earth elements. Details the physical chemistry of rare earths. Reviews the history of rare earth chemistry and mineralogy. Discusses the mineralogy and crystallography of the formation of rare earth laden minerals found in the earth's crust. Characterizes the geologic history of rare earth elements. (CW)

  10. China's rare-earth industry

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tse, Pui-Kwan

    2011-01-01

    Introduction China's dominant position as the producer of over 95 percent of the world output of rare-earth minerals and rapid increases in the consumption of rare earths owing to the emergence of new clean-energy and defense-related technologies, combined with China's decisions to restrict exports of rare earths, have resulted in heightened concerns about the future availability of rare earths. As a result, industrial countries such as Japan, the United States, and countries of the European Union face tighter supplies and higher prices for rare earths. This paper briefly reviews China's rare-earth production, consumption, and reserves and the important policies and regulations regarding the production and trade of rare earths, including recently announced export quotas. The 15 lanthanide elements-lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium (atomic numbers 57-71)-were originally known as the rare earths from their occurrence in oxides mixtures. Recently, some researchers have included two other elements-scandium and yttrium-in their discussion of rare earths. Yttrium (atomic number 39), which lies above lanthanum in transition group III of the periodic table and has a similar 3+ ion with a noble gas core, has both atomic and ionic radii similar in size to those of terbium and dysprosium and is generally found in nature with lanthanides. Scandium (atomic number 21) has a smaller ionic radius than yttrium and the lanthanides, and its chemical behavior is intermediate between that of aluminum and the lanthanides. It is found in nature with the lanthanides and yttrium. Rare earths are used widely in high-technology and clean-energy products because they impart special properties of magnetism, luminescence, and strength. Rare earths are also used in weapon systems to obtain the same properties.

  11. Ultra-low background mass spectrometry for rare-event searches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobson, J.; Ghag, C.; Manenti, L.

    2018-01-01

    Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) allows for rapid, high-sensitivity determination of trace impurities, notably the primordial radioisotopes 238U and 232Th, in candidate materials for low-background rare-event search experiments. We describe the setup and characterisation of a dedicated low-background screening facility at University College London where we operate an Agilent 7900 ICP-MS. The impact of reagent and carrier gas purity is evaluated and we show that twice-distilled ROMIL-SpATM-grade nitric acid and zero-grade Ar gas delivers similar sensitivity to ROMIL-UpATM-grade acid and research-grade gas. A straightforward procedure for sample digestion and analysis of materials with U/Th concentrations down to 10 ppt g/g is presented. This includes the use of 233U and 230Th spikes to correct for signal loss from a range of sources and verification of 238U and 232Th recovery through digestion and analysis of a certified reference material with a complex sample matrix. Finally, we demonstrate assays and present results from two sample preparation and assay methods: a high-sensitivity measurement of ultra-pure Ti using open digestion techniques, and a closed vessel microwave digestion of a nickel-chromium-alloy using a multi-acid mixture.

  12. Effect of the addition of low rare earth elements (lanthanum, neodymium, cerium) on the biodegradation and biocompatibility of magnesium.

    PubMed

    Willbold, Elmar; Gu, Xuenan; Albert, Devon; Kalla, Katharina; Bobe, Katharina; Brauneis, Maria; Janning, Carla; Nellesen, Jens; Czayka, Wolfgang; Tillmann, Wolfgang; Zheng, Yufeng; Witte, Frank

    2015-01-01

    Rare earth elements are promising alloying element candidates for magnesium alloys used as biodegradable devices in biomedical applications. Rare earth elements have significant effects on the high temperature strength as well as the creep resistance of alloys and they improve magnesium corrosion resistance. We focused on lanthanum, neodymium and cerium to produce magnesium alloys with commonly used rare earth element concentrations. We showed that low concentrations of rare earth elements do not promote bone growth inside a 750 μm broad area around the implant. However, increased bone growth was observed at a greater distance from the degrading alloys. Clinically and histologically, the alloys and their corrosion products caused no systematic or local cytotoxicological effects. Using microtomography and in vitro experiments, we could show that the magnesium-rare earth element alloys showed low corrosion rates, both in in vitro and in vivo. The lanthanum- and cerium-containing alloys degraded at comparable rates, whereas the neodymium-containing alloy showed the lowest corrosion rates. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. How Many Ultra-Low Delta-v Near Earth Objects Remain Undiscovered? Implications for missions.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elvis, Martin; Ranjan, Sukrit; Galache, Jose Luis; Murphy, Max

    2015-08-01

    The past decade has witnessed considerable growth of interest in missions to Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). NEOs are considered prime targets for manned and robotic missions, for both scientific objectives as well as in-situ resource utilization including harvesting of water for propellant and life support and mining of high-value elements for sale on Earth. Appropriate targets are crucial to such missions. Hence, ultra-low delta-v mission targets are strongly favored. Some mission architectures rely on the discovery of more ultra-low delta-v NEOs. In fact the approved and executed NEO missions have all targeted asteroids with ultra-low LEO to asteroid rendezvous delta-v <5.5 km/s.In this paper, we estimate the total NEO population as a function of delta-v, and how many remain to be discovered in various size ranges down to ~100m. We couple the NEOSSat-1 model (Greenstreet et al., 2012) to the NEO size distribution derived from the NEOWISE survey (Mainzer et al., 2011b) to compute an absolute NEO population model. We compare the Minor Planet Center (MPC) catalog of known NEOs to this NEO population model. We compute the delta-v from LEO to asteroid rendezvous orbits using a modified Shoemaker-Helin (S-H) formalism that empirically removes biases found comparing S-H with the results from NHATS. The median delta-v of the known NEOs is 7.3 km/s, the median delta-v predicted by our NEO model is 9.8 km/s, suggesting that undiscovered objects are biased to higher delta-v. The survey of delta-v <10.3 km/s NEOs is essentially complete for objects with diameter D >300 m. However, there are tens of thousands of objects with delta-v <10.3 km/s to be discovered in the D = 50 - 300 m size class (H = 20.4 - 24.3). Our work suggests that there are 100 yet-undiscovered NEOs with delta-v < 5:8 km/s, and 1000 undiscovered NEOs with v < 6.3 km/s. We conclude that, even with complete NEO surveys, the selection of good (i.e. ultra-low delta-v) mission targets is limited given current

  14. Recycling of rare earth metals from rare earth-transition metal alloy scrap by liquid metal extraction

    DOEpatents

    Ellis, Timothy W.; Schmidt, Frederick A.

    1995-08-01

    Method of treating rare earth metal-bearing scrap, waste or other material (e.g. Nd--Fe--B or Dy--Tb--Fe scrap) to recover the rare earth metal comprising melting the rare earth metal-bearing material, melting a Group IIA metal extractant, such as Mg, Ca, or Ba, in which the rare earth is soluble in the molten state, and contacting the melted material and melted extractant at a temperature and for a time effective to extract the rare earth from the melted material into the melted extractant. The rare earth metal is separated from the extractant metal by vacuum sublimation or distillation.

  15. Recycling of rare earth metals from rare earth-transition metal alloy scrap by liquid metal extraction

    DOEpatents

    Ellis, T.W.; Schmidt, F.A.

    1995-08-01

    A method is described for treating rare earth metal-bearing scrap, waste or other material (e.g. Nd--Fe--B or Dy--Tb--Fe scrap) to recover the rare earth metal comprising melting the rare earth metal-bearing material, melting a Group IIA metal extractant, such as Mg, Ca, or Ba, in which the rare earth is soluble in the molten state, and contacting the melted material and melted extractant at a temperature and for a time effective to extract the rare earth from the melted material into the melted extractant. The rare earth metal is separated from the extractant metal by vacuum sublimation or distillation. 2 figs.

  16. Leaching behavior of rare earth elements in Fort Union lignite coals of North America

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Laudal, Daniel A.; Benson, Steven A.; Addleman, Raymond Shane

    Rare earth elements are crucial materials in an incredible array of consumer goods, energy system components and military defense applications. However, the global production and entire value chain for rare earth elements is dominated by China, with the U.S. currently 100% import reliant for these critical materials. Traditional mineral ores including those previously mined in the U.S., however, have several challenges. Chief among these is that the content of the most critical and valuable of the rare earths are deficient, making mining uneconomical. Further, the supply of these most critical rare earths is nearly 100% produced in China from amore » single resource that is only projected to last another 10 to 20 years. The U.S. currently considers the rare earths market an issue of national security. It is imperative that alternative domestic sources of rare earths be identified and methods developed to produce them. Recently, coal and coal byproducts have been identified as one of these promising alternative resources. This paper details the results of a study on characterization of North Dakota lignite and lignite-related feedstocks as an assessment of their feasibility for rare earth element recovery. The abundance, distribution and modes of occurrence of the rare earth elements in the samples collected were determined in this initial study to inform the selection of appropriate extraction and concentration methods to recover the rare earth elements. Materials investigated include the lignite coals, clay-rich sediments associated with the coal seams, and materials associated with a lignite beneficiation system and power plant. The results show that high rare earth element levels exist both in lignite coals and associated sediments. The form of the rare earth elements in the clay materials is primarily as ultra-fine mineral grains. In the lignite coals, approximately 80-95% of the rare earths content is organically associated, primarily as coordination

  17. Ames Lab 101: Rare Earths

    ScienceCinema

    Gschneidner, Karl

    2017-12-11

    "Mr. Rare Earth," Ames Laboratory scientist Karl Gschneidner Jr., explains the importance of rare-earth materials in many of the technologies we use today -- ranging from computers to hybrid cars to wind turbines. Gschneidner is a world renowned rare-earths expert at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory.

  18. Raman scattering of rare earth hexaborides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogita, Norio; Hasegawa, Takumi; Udagawa, Masayuki; Iga, Fumitoshi; Kunii, Satoru

    2009-06-01

    Raman scattering spectra were measured for the rare-earth hexaborides RB6 (R = Ce, Gd, or Dy). All Raman-active phonons due to B6 vibrations were observed in the range 600 - 1400 cm-1. Anomalous peaks were detected below 200 cm-1, which correspond to vibrations of rare-earth ion excited by second-order Raman scattering process. The intensity and energy of the rare-earth mode decrease with decreasing temperature. This suggests that the rare-earth ion vibrates in a shallow and anharmonic potential due to the boron cage. Using the reported values of mean square displacement of rare-earth ion, we estimated the anharmonic contribution for the rare-earth vibrations.

  19. China’s Rare Earth Policies: Economic Statecraft or Interdependence?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-01

    statecraft. As evident towards the beginning of the 21st century, China’s policies associated with the rare earths market (e.g., resource quotas...controls approximately 97% of the world’s REE market . These rare earths, which are not widely known because they are so low on the production chain...rare earths as well as access to the developing Chinese market . Additionally, safety and environmental factors will likely raise the cost of

  20. Phase stable rare earth garnets

    DOEpatents

    Kuntz, Joshua D.; Cherepy, Nerine J.; Roberts, Jeffery J.; Payne, Stephen A.

    2013-06-11

    A transparent ceramic according to one embodiment includes a rare earth garnet comprising A.sub.hB.sub.iC.sub.jO.sub.12, where h is 3.+-.10%, i is 2.+-.10%, and j is 3.+-.10%. A includes a rare earth element or a mixture of rare earth elements, B includes at least one of aluminum, gallium and scandium, and C includes at least one of aluminum, gallium and scandium, where A is at a dodecahedral site of the garnet, B is at an octahedral site of the garnet, and C is at a tetrahedral site of the garnet. In one embodiment, the rare earth garment has scintillation properties. A radiation detector in one embodiment includes a transparent ceramic as described above and a photo detector optically coupled to the rare earth garnet.

  1. Selective Emitter Pumped Rare Earth Laser

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, Donald L. (Inventor); Patton, Martin O. (Inventor)

    2001-01-01

    A selective emitter pumped rare earth laser provides an additional type of laser for use in many laser applications. Rare earth doped lasers exist which are pumped with flashtubes or laser diodes. The invention uses a rare earth emitter to transform thermal energy input to a spectral band matching the absorption band of a rare earth in the laser in order to produce lasing.

  2. Production method for making rare earth compounds

    DOEpatents

    McCallum, R.W.; Ellis, T.W.; Dennis, K.W.; Hofer, R.J.; Branagan, D.J.

    1997-11-25

    A method of making a rare earth compound, such as a earth-transition metal permanent magnet compound, without the need for producing rare earth metal as a process step, comprises carbothermically reacting a rare earth oxide to form a rare earth carbide and heating the rare earth carbide, a compound-forming reactant (e.g., a transition metal and optional boron), and a carbide-forming element (e.g., a refractory metal) that forms a carbide that is more thermodynamically favorable than the rare earth carbide whereby the rare earth compound (e.g., Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B or LaNi{sub 5}) and a carbide of the carbide-forming element are formed.

  3. Production method for making rare earth compounds

    DOEpatents

    McCallum, R. William; Ellis, Timothy W.; Dennis, Kevin W.; Hofer, Robert J.; Branagan, Daniel J.

    1997-11-25

    A method of making a rare earth compound, such as a earth-transition metal permanent magnet compound, without the need for producing rare earth metal as a process step, comprises carbothermically reacting a rare earth oxide to form a rare earth carbide and heating the rare earth carbide, a compound-forming reactant (e.g. a transition metal and optional boron), and a carbide-forming element (e.g. a refractory metal) that forms a carbide that is more thermodynamically favorable than the rare earth carbide whereby the rare earth compound (e.g. Nd.sub.2 Fe.sub.14 B or LaNi.sub.5) and a carbide of the carbide-forming element are formed.

  4. Rare earth gas laser

    DOEpatents

    Krupke, W.F.

    1975-10-31

    A high energy gas laser with light output in the infrared or visible region of the spectrum is described. Laser action is obtained by generating vapors of rare earth halides, particularly neodymium iodide or, to a lesser extent, neodymium bromide, and disposing the rare earth vapor medium in a resonant cavity at elevated temperatures; e.g., approximately 1200/sup 0/ to 1400/sup 0/K. A particularly preferred gaseous medium is one involving a complex of aluminum chloride and neodymium chloride, which exhibits tremendously enhanced vapor pressure compared to the rare earth halides per se, and provides comparable increases in stored energy densities.

  5. Synthesis and evaluation of ultra-pure rare-earth-coped glass for laser refrigeration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Patterson, Wendy M; Hehlen, Markus P; Epstein, Richard I

    2009-01-01

    Significant progress has been made in synthesizing and characterizing ultra-pure, rare-earth doped ZIBLAN (ZrF{sub 4}-InF{sub 3}BaF{sub 2}-LaF{sub 3}-AlF{sub 3}-NaF) glass capable of laser refrigeration. The glass was produced from fluorides which were purified and subsequently treated with hydrofluoric gas at elevated temperatures to remove impurities before glass formation. Several Yb3 +-doped samples were studied with degrees of purity and composition with successive iterations producing an improved material. We have developed a non-invasive, spectroscopic technique, two band differential luminescence thermometry (TBDLT), to evaluate the intrinsic quality of the ytterbium doped ZIBLAN used for laser cooling experiments. TBDLT measures local temperature changesmore » within an illuminated volume resulting solely from changes in the relative thermal population of the excited state levels. This TBDLT technique utilizes two commercially available band pass filters to select and integrate the 'difference regions' of interest in the luminescence spectra. The goal is to determine the minimum temperature to which the ytterbium sample can cool on the local scale, unphased by surface heating. This temperature where heating and cooling are exactly balanced is the zero crossing temperature (ZCT) and can be used as a measure for the presence of impurities and the overall quality of the laser cooling material. Overall, favorable results were obtained from 1 % Yb3+-doped glass, indicating our glasses are desirable for laser refrigeration.« less

  6. Use of thulium-sensitized rare earth-doped low phonon energy crystalline hosts for IR sources.

    PubMed

    Ganem, Joseph; Bowman, Steven R

    2013-11-01

    Crystalline hosts with low phonon energies enable novel energy transfer processes when doped with rare earth ions. Two applications of energy transfer for rare earth ions in thulium-sensitized low phonon energy crystals that result in infrared luminescence are discussed. One application is an endothermic, phonon-assisted cross-relaxation process in thulium-doped yttrium chloride that converts lattice phonons to infrared emission, which raises the possibility of a fundamentally new method for achieving solid-state optical cooling. The other application is an optically pumped mid-IR phosphor using thulium-praseodymium-doped potassium lead chloride that converts 805-nm diode light to broadband emission from 4,000 to 5,500 nm. These two applications in chloride crystals are discussed in terms of critical radii calculated from Forster-Dexter energy transfer theory. It is found that the critical radii for electric dipole-dipole interactions in low phonon energy chloride crystals are comparable to those in conventional oxide and fluoride crystals. It is the reduction in multi-phonon relaxation rates in chloride crystals that enable these additional energy transfer processes and infrared luminescence.

  7. Use of thulium-sensitized rare earth-doped low phonon energy crystalline hosts for IR sources

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Crystalline hosts with low phonon energies enable novel energy transfer processes when doped with rare earth ions. Two applications of energy transfer for rare earth ions in thulium-sensitized low phonon energy crystals that result in infrared luminescence are discussed. One application is an endothermic, phonon-assisted cross-relaxation process in thulium-doped yttrium chloride that converts lattice phonons to infrared emission, which raises the possibility of a fundamentally new method for achieving solid-state optical cooling. The other application is an optically pumped mid-IR phosphor using thulium-praseodymium-doped potassium lead chloride that converts 805-nm diode light to broadband emission from 4,000 to 5,500 nm. These two applications in chloride crystals are discussed in terms of critical radii calculated from Forster-Dexter energy transfer theory. It is found that the critical radii for electric dipole-dipole interactions in low phonon energy chloride crystals are comparable to those in conventional oxide and fluoride crystals. It is the reduction in multi-phonon relaxation rates in chloride crystals that enable these additional energy transfer processes and infrared luminescence. PMID:24180684

  8. Use of thulium-sensitized rare earth-doped low phonon energy crystalline hosts for IR sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganem, Joseph; Bowman, Steven R.

    2013-11-01

    Crystalline hosts with low phonon energies enable novel energy transfer processes when doped with rare earth ions. Two applications of energy transfer for rare earth ions in thulium-sensitized low phonon energy crystals that result in infrared luminescence are discussed. One application is an endothermic, phonon-assisted cross-relaxation process in thulium-doped yttrium chloride that converts lattice phonons to infrared emission, which raises the possibility of a fundamentally new method for achieving solid-state optical cooling. The other application is an optically pumped mid-IR phosphor using thulium-praseodymium-doped potassium lead chloride that converts 805-nm diode light to broadband emission from 4,000 to 5,500 nm. These two applications in chloride crystals are discussed in terms of critical radii calculated from Forster-Dexter energy transfer theory. It is found that the critical radii for electric dipole-dipole interactions in low phonon energy chloride crystals are comparable to those in conventional oxide and fluoride crystals. It is the reduction in multi-phonon relaxation rates in chloride crystals that enable these additional energy transfer processes and infrared luminescence.

  9. Rare earth elements: end use and recyclability

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Goonan, Thomas G.

    2011-01-01

    Rare earth elements are used in mature markets (such as catalysts, glassmaking, lighting, and metallurgy), which account for 59 percent of the total worldwide consumption of rare earth elements, and in newer, high-growth markets (such as battery alloys, ceramics, and permanent magnets), which account for 41 percent of the total worldwide consumption of rare earth elements. In mature market segments, lanthanum and cerium constitute about 80 percent of rare earth elements used, and in new market segments, dysprosium, neodymium, and praseodymium account for about 85 percent of rare earth elements used. Regardless of the end use, rare earth elements are not recycled in large quantities, but could be if recycling became mandated or very high prices of rare earth elements made recycling feasible.

  10. Microfluidic active mixers employing ultra-high aspect-ratio rare-earth magnetic nano-composite polymer artificial cilia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahbar, Mona; Shannon, Lesley; Gray, Bonnie L.

    2014-02-01

    We present a new micromixer based on highly magnetic, flexible, high aspect-ratio, artificial cilia that are fabricated as individual micromixer elements or in arrays for improved mixing performance. These new cilia enable high efficiency, fast mixing in a microchamber, and are controlled by small electromagnetic fields. The artificial cilia are fabricated using a new micromolding process for nano-composite polymers. Cilia fibers with aspect-ratios as high as 8:0.13 demonstrate the fabrication technique's capability in creating ultra-high aspect-ratio microstructures. Cilia, which are realized in polydimethylsiloxane doped with rare-earth magnetic powder, are magnetized to produce permanent magnetic structures with bidirectional deflection capabilities, making them highly suitable as mixers controlled by electromagnetic fields. Due to the high magnetization level of the polarized nano-composite polymer, we are able to use miniature electromagnets providing relatively small magnetic fields of 1.1 to 7 mT to actuate the cilia microstructures over a very wide motion range. Mixing performances of a single cilium, as well as different arrays of multiple cilia ranging from 2 to 8 per reaction chamber, are characterized and compared with passive diffusion mixing performance. The mixer cilia are actuated at different amplitudes and frequencies to optimize mixing performance. We demonstrate that more than 85% of the total volume of the reaction chamber is fully mixed after 3.5 min using a single cilium mixer at 7 mT compared with only 20% of the total volume mixed with passive diffusion. The time to achieve over 85% mixing is further reduced to 70 s using an array of eight cilia microstructures. The novel microfabrication technique and use of rare-earth permanently-magnetizable nano-composite polymers in mixer applications has not been reported elsewhere by other researchers. We further demonstrate improved mixing over other cilia micromixers as enabled by the high aspect

  11. Rare Earth Element Partition Coefficients from Enstatite/Melt Synthesis Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwandt, Craig S.; McKay, Gordon A.

    1997-01-01

    Enstatite (En(80)Fs(19)Wo(01)) was synthesized from a hypersthene normative basaltic melt doped at the same time with La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Dy, Er, Yb and Lu. The rare earth element concentrations were measured in both the basaltic glass and the enstatite. Rare earth element concentrations in the glass were determined by electron microprobe analysis with uncertainties less than two percent relative. Rare earth element concentrations in enstatite were determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry with uncertainties less than five percent relative. The resulting rare earth element partition signature for enstatite is similar to previous calculated and composite low-Ca pigeonite signatures, but is better defined and differs in several details. The partition coefficients are consistent with crystal structural constraints.

  12. Recovering heavy rare earth metals from magnet scrap

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ott, Ryan T.; McCallum, Ralph W.; Jones, Lawrence L.

    A method of treating rare earth metal-bearing permanent magnet scrap, waste or other material in a manner to recover the heavy rare earth metal content separately from the light rare earth metal content. The heavy rare earth metal content can be recovered either as a heavy rare earth metal-enriched iron based alloy or as a heavy rare earth metal based alloy.

  13. Mineral resource of the month: rare earth elements

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2011-01-01

    The article provides information on rare earth elements, which are group of 17 natural metallic elements. The rare earth elements are scandium, yttrium and lanthanides and classified into light rare earth elements (LREE) and heavy rate earth elements (HREE). The principal ores of the rare earth elements are identified. An overview of China's production of 97 percent of the rare earths in the world is provided. Commercial applications of rare earths are described.

  14. Rare Earth Element Mines, Deposits, and Occurrences

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Orris, Greta J.; Grauch, Richard I.

    2002-01-01

    Data on rare earth (including yttrium) mines, deposits, and occurrences were compiled as part of an effort by the USGS and the University of Arizona Center for Mineral Resources to summarize current knowledge on the supply and demand outlook and related topics for this group of elements. Economic competition and environmental concerns are increasingly constraining the mining and processing of rare earths from the Mountain Pass mine in California. For many years, the deposit at Mountain Pass was the world's dominant source of rare earth elements and the United States was essentially self-sufficient. Starting approximately 10 years ago, the U.S. has become increasingly dependent (> 90 percent of separated rare earths) upon imports from China, now the dominant source of rare earths. A knowledge of the known economic and noneconomic sources of rare earths is basic to evaluating the outlook for rare earth supply and associated issues.

  15. Rare Earths; The Fraternal Fifteen (Rev.)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gschneidner, Jr., Karl A.

    1966-01-01

    Rare earths are a set of 15 elements: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium. They are not rare and not earths; they are metals and quite abundant. They are studied to develop commercial products which are beneficial to mankind, and because some rare earths are important to fission products.

  16. The Rare Earth Magnet Industry and Rare Earth Price in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Kaihong

    2014-07-01

    In the past four years, the price of rare earth metal fluctuates sharply for many reasons. Currently, it has become more stable and more reasonable. This presentation is focused on the effect about the rare earth metal price. Some motor manufacturers have shifted from rare earth permanent magnet to ferrite magnet. Many motor manufacturers changed the design for the motor cooling system to make the motor function at a lower temperature. Thus the consumption of Dy can be markedly reduced. As for manufacturer of NdFeB magnet, we are also trying to optimize our process to reduce to dependence of HREE such as Dy and Tb. HS process have been introduced to solve the problem. With more and more people focusing and engaging on the REE industry, the price of REE will be more transparent without too many fluctuations. China is considering the problems of balancing the environment, energy sources, and labor sources. The application field about NdFeB such as wind turbine generator, HEV/EV, FA /OA is flourishing.

  17. A LOW-COST RARE EARTH ELEMENTS RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY - PHASE I

    EPA Science Inventory

    Physical Sciences, Inc., and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research propose to develop a unique enabling technology to significantly reduce U.S. dependency for Rare Earth Elements (REE) on foreign suppliers and our global competitors. Our innovation...

  18. Rare earths, the lanthanides, yttrium and scandium

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hedrick, J.B.

    2006-01-01

    In 2005, rare earths were not mined in the United States. The major supplier, Molycorp, continued to maintain a large stockpile of rare-earth concentrates and compounds. Consumption decreased of refined rare-earth products. The United States remained a major importer and exporter of rare earths in 2005. During the same period, yttrium was not mined or refined in the US. Hence, supply of yttrium compounds for refined yttrium products came from China, France and Japan. Scandium was not also mined. World production was primarily in China, Russia and Ukraine. Demand for rare earths in 2006 is expected to be closely tied to economic conditions in the US.

  19. Rare Earth Metals: Resourcefulness and Recovery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Shijie

    2013-10-01

    When we appreciate the digital revolution carried over from the twentieth century with mobile communication and the Internet, and when we enjoy our high-tech lifestyle filled with iDevices, hybrid cars, wind turbines, and solar cells in this new century, we should also appreciate that all of these advanced products depend on rare earth metals to function. Although there are only 136,000 tons of annual worldwide demand, (Cho, Rare Earth Metals, Will We Have Enough?)1 rare earth metals are becoming such hot commodities on international markets, due to not only to their increasing uses, including in most critical military hardware, but also to Chinese growth, which accounts for 95% of global rare earth metal production. Hence, the 2013 technical calendar topic, planned by the TMS/Hydrometallurgy and Electrometallurgy Committee, is particularly relevant, with four articles (including this commentary) contributed to the JOM October Issue discussing rare earth metals' resourcefulness and recovery.

  20. Rare earth metal-containing ionic liquids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prodius, Denis; Mudring, Anja-Verena

    As an innovative tool, ionic liquids (ILs) are widely employed as an alternative, smart, reaction media (vs. traditional solvents) offering interesting technology solutions for dissolving, processing and recycling of metal-containing materials. The costly mining and refining of rare earths (RE), combined with increasing demand for high-tech and energy-related applications around the world, urgently requires effective approaches to improve the efficiency of rare earth separation and recovery. In this context, ionic liquids appear as an attractive technology solution. Finally, this paper addresses the structural and coordination chemistry of ionic liquids comprising rare earth metals with the aim to add to understandingmore » prospects of ionic liquids in the chemistry of rare earths.« less

  1. Rare earth metal-containing ionic liquids

    DOE PAGES

    Prodius, Denis; Mudring, Anja-Verena

    2018-03-07

    As an innovative tool, ionic liquids (ILs) are widely employed as an alternative, smart, reaction media (vs. traditional solvents) offering interesting technology solutions for dissolving, processing and recycling of metal-containing materials. The costly mining and refining of rare earths (RE), combined with increasing demand for high-tech and energy-related applications around the world, urgently requires effective approaches to improve the efficiency of rare earth separation and recovery. In this context, ionic liquids appear as an attractive technology solution. Finally, this paper addresses the structural and coordination chemistry of ionic liquids comprising rare earth metals with the aim to add to understandingmore » prospects of ionic liquids in the chemistry of rare earths.« less

  2. The detection of ultra-relativistic electrons in low Earth orbit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katsiyannis, Athanassios C.; Dominique, Marie; Pierrard, Viviane; Rosson, Graciela Lopez; Keyser, Johan De; Berghmans, David; Kruglanski, Michel; Dammasch, Ingolf E.; Donder, Erwin De

    2018-01-01

    Aims: To better understand the radiation environment in low Earth orbit (LEO), the analysis of in-situ observations of a variety of particles, at different atmospheric heights, and in a wide range of energies, is needed. Methods: We present an analysis of energetic particles, indirectly detected by the large yield radiometer (LYRA) instrument on board ESA's project for on-board autonomy 2 (PROBA2) satellite as background signal. Combining energetic particle telescope (EPT) observations with LYRA data for an overlapping period of time, we identified these particles as electrons with an energy range of 2 to 8 MeV. Results: The observed events are strongly correlated to geo-magnetic activity and appear even during modest disturbances. They are also well confined geographically within the L = 4-6 McIlwain zone, which makes it possible to identify their source. Conclusions: Although highly energetic particles are commonly perturbing data acquisition of space instruments, we show in this work that ultra-relativistic electrons with energies in the range of 2-8 MeV are detected only at high latitudes, while not present in the South Atlantic Anomaly region.

  3. Mineral resource of the month: rare earths

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hedrick, James B.

    2004-01-01

    As if classified as a top-secret project, the rare earths have been shrouded in secrecy. The principal ore mineral of the group, bastnäsite, rarely appears in the leading mineralogy texts. The long names of the rare-earth elements and some unusual arrangements of letters, many Scandinavian in origin, may have intimidated even those skilled in phonics. Somewhat obscurely labeled, the rare earths are neither rare nor earths (the historical term for oxides). They are a relatively abundant group of metallic elements that occur in nature as nonmetallic compounds and have hundreds of commercial applications.

  4. Ternary rare earth-lanthanide sulfides

    DOEpatents

    Takeshita, Takuo; Gschneidner JR., Karl A.; Beaudry, Bernard J.

    1987-01-06

    A new ternary rare earth sulfur compound having the formula: where M is a rare earth element selected from the group europium, samarium and ytterbium and x=0.15 to 0.8. The compound has good high-temperature thermoelectric properties and exhibits long-term structural stability up to 1000.degree. C.

  5. Charge-separated and molecular heterobimetallic rare earth-rare earth and alkaline earth-rare earth aryloxo complexes featuring intramolecular metal-pi-arene interactions.

    PubMed

    Deacon, Glen B; Junk, Peter C; Moxey, Graeme J; Ruhlandt-Senge, Karin; St Prix, Courtney; Zuniga, Maria F

    2009-01-01

    Treatment of a rare earth metal (Ln) and a potential divalent rare earth metal (Ln') or an alkaline earth metal (Ae) with 2,6-diphenylphenol (HOdpp) at elevated temperatures (200-250 degrees C) afforded heterobimetallic aryloxo complexes, which were structurally characterised. A charge-separated species [(Ln'/Ae)(2)(Odpp)(3)][Ln(Odpp)(4)] was obtained for a range of metals, demonstrating the similarities between the chemistry of the divalent rare earth metals and the alkaline earth metals. The [(Ln'/Ae)(2)(Odpp)(3)](+) cation in the heterobimetallic structures is unusual in that it consists solely of bridging aryloxide ligands. A molecular heterobimetallic species [AeEu(Odpp)(4)] (Ae = Ca, Sr, Ba) was obtained by treating an alkaline earth metal and Eu metal with HOdpp at elevated temperatures. Similarly, [BaSr(Odpp)(4)] was prepared by treating Ba metal and Sr metal with HOdpp. Treatment of [Ba(2)(Odpp)(4)] with [Mg(Odpp)(2)(thf)(2)] in toluene afforded [Ba(2)(Odpp)(3)][Mg(Odpp)(3)(thf)]. Analogous solution-based syntheses were not possible for [(Ln'/Ae)(2)(Odpp)(3)][Ln(Odpp)(4)] complexes, for which the free-metal route was essential. As a result of the absence of additional donor ligands, the crystal structures of the heterobimetallic complexes feature extensive pi-Ph-metal interactions involving the pendant phenyl groups of the Odpp ligands, thus enabling the large electropositive metal atoms to attain coordination saturation. The charge-separated heterobimetallic species were purified by extraction with toluene/thf mixtures at ambient temperature (Ba-containing compounds) or by extraction with toluene under pressure above the boiling point of the solvent (other products). In donor solvents, heterobimetallic complexes other than those containing barium were found to fragment into homometallic species.

  6. Rare Earth Polyoxometalates.

    PubMed

    Boskovic, Colette

    2017-09-19

    Longstanding and important applications make use of the chemical and physical properties of both rare earth metals and polyoxometalates of early transition metals. The catalytic, optical, and magnetic features of rare earth metal ions are well-known, as are the reversible multielectron redox and photoredox capabilities of polyoxomolybdates and polyoxotungstates. The combination of rare earth ions and polyoxometalates in discrete molecules and coordination polymers is of interest for the unique combination of chemical and physical properties that can arise. This Account surveys our efforts to synthesize and investigate compounds with rare earth ions and polyoxometalates (RE-POMs), sometimes with carboxylate-based organic coligands. Our general synthetic approach is "bottom-up", which affords well-defined nanoscale molecules, typically in crystalline form and amenable to single-crystal X-ray diffraction for structure determination. Our particular focus is on elucidation of the physical properties conferred by the different structural components with a view to ultimately being able to tune these properties chemically. For this purpose, we employ a variety of spectroscopic, magnetochemical, electrochemical, and scattering techniques in concert with theoretical modeling and computation. Studies of RE-POM single-molecule magnets (SMMs) have utilized magnetic susceptibility, inelastic neutron scattering, and ab initio calculations. These investigations have allowed characterization of the crystal field splitting of the rare earth(III) ions that is responsible for the SMM properties of slow magnetic relaxation and magnetization quantum tunneling. Such SMMs are promising for applications in quantum computing and molecular spintronics. Photophysical measurements of a family of hybrid RE-POMs with organic ligands have afforded insights into sensitization of Tb(III) and Eu(III) emission through both organic and polyoxometalate chromophores in the same molecule. Detailed

  7. Magnetic Partitioning Nanofluid for Rare Earth Extraction from Geothermal Fluids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McGrail, Bernard P.; Thallapally, Praveen K.; Liu, Jian

    Rare earth metals are critical materials in a wide variety of applications in generating and storing renewable energy and in designing more energy efficient devices. Extracting rare earth metals from geothermal brines is a very challenging problem due to the low concentrations of these elements and engineering challenges with traditional chemical separations methods involving packed sorbent beds or membranes that would impede large volumetric flow rates of geothermal fluids transitioning through the plant. We are demonstrating a simple and highly cost-effective nanofluid-based method for extracting rare earth metals from geothermal brines. Core-shell composite nanoparticles are produced that contain a magneticmore » iron oxide core surrounded by a shell made of silica or metal-organic framework (MOF) sorbent functionalized with chelating ligands selective for the rare earth elements. By introducing the nanoparticles at low concentration (≈0.05 wt%) into the geothermal brine after it passes through the plant heat exchanger, the brine is exposed to a very high concentration of chelating sites on the nanoparticles without need to pass through a large and costly traditional packed bed or membrane system where pressure drop and parasitic pumping power losses are significant issues. Instead, after a short residence time flowing with the brine, the particles are effectively separated out with an electromagnet and standard extraction methods are then applied to strip the rare earth metals from the nanoparticles, which are then recycled back to the geothermal plant. Recovery efficiency for the rare earths at ppm level has now been measured for both silica and MOF sorbents functionalized with a variety of chelating ligands. A detailed preliminary techno-economic performance analysis of extraction systems using both sorbents showed potential to generate a promising internal rate of return (IRR) up to 20%.« less

  8. 2nd International Symposium on Fundamental Aspects of Rare-earth Elements Mining and Separation and Modern Materials Engineering (REES-2015)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tavadyan, Levon, Prof; Sachkov, Viktor, Prof; Godymchuk, Anna, Dr.; Bogdan, Anna

    2016-01-01

    The 2nd International Symposium «Fundamental Aspects of Rare-earth Elements Mining and Separation and Modern Materials Engineering» (REES2015) was jointly organized by Tomsk State University (Russia), National Academy of Science (Armenia), Shenyang Polytechnic University (China), Moscow Institute of Physics and Engineering (Russia), Siberian Physical-technical Institute (Russia), and Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russia) in September, 7-15, 2015, Belokuriha, Russia. The Symposium provided a high quality of presentations and gathered engineers, scientists, academicians, and young researchers working in the field of rare and rare earth elements mining, modification, separation, elaboration and application, in order to facilitate aggregation and sharing interests and results for a better collaboration and activity visibility. The goal of the REES2015 was to bring researchers and practitioners together to share the latest knowledge on rare and rare earth elements technologies. The Symposium was aimed at presenting new trends in rare and rare earth elements mining, research and separation and recent achievements in advanced materials elaboration and developments for different purposes, as well as strengthening the already existing contacts between manufactures, highly-qualified specialists and young scientists. The topics of the REES2015 were: (1) Problems of extraction and separation of rare and rare earth elements; (2) Methods and approaches to the separation and isolation of rare and rare earth elements with ultra-high purity; (3) Industrial technologies of production and separation of rare and rare earth elements; (4) Economic aspects in technology of rare and rare earth elements; and (5) Rare and rare earth based materials (application in metallurgy, catalysis, medicine, optoelectronics, etc.). We want to thank the Organizing Committee, the Universities and Sponsors supporting the Symposium, and everyone who contributed to the organization of the event and to

  9. Enhanced pinning in mixed rare earth-123 films

    DOEpatents

    Driscoll, Judith L [Los Alamos, NM; Foltyn, Stephen R [Los Alamos, NM

    2009-06-16

    An superconductive article and method of forming such an article is disclosed, the article including a substrate and a layer of a rare earth barium cuprate film upon the substrate, the rare earth barium cuprate film including two or more rare earth metals capable of yielding a superconductive composition where ion size variance between the two or more rare earth metals is characterized as greater than zero and less than about 10.times.10.sup.-4, and the rare earth barium cuprate film including two or more rare earth metals is further characterized as having an enhanced critical current density in comparison to a standard YBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.y composition under identical testing conditions.

  10. Interfacing broadband photonic qubits to on-chip cavity-protected rare-earth ensembles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhong, Tian; Kindem, Jonathan M.; Rochman, Jake; Faraon, Andrei

    2017-01-01

    Ensembles of solid-state optical emitters enable broadband quantum storage and transduction of photonic qubits, with applications in high-rate quantum networks for secure communications and interconnecting future quantum computers. To transfer quantum states using ensembles, rephasing techniques are used to mitigate fast decoherence resulting from inhomogeneous broadening, but these techniques generally limit the bandwidth, efficiency and active times of the quantum interface. Here, we use a dense ensemble of neodymium rare-earth ions strongly coupled to a nanophotonic resonator to demonstrate a significant cavity protection effect at the single-photon level--a technique to suppress ensemble decoherence due to inhomogeneous broadening. The protected Rabi oscillations between the cavity field and the atomic super-radiant state enable ultra-fast transfer of photonic frequency qubits to the ions (~50 GHz bandwidth) followed by retrieval with 98.7% fidelity. With the prospect of coupling to other long-lived rare-earth spin states, this technique opens the possibilities for broadband, always-ready quantum memories and fast optical-to-microwave transducers.

  11. Replacing the Rare Earth Intellectual Capital

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gschneidner, Jr., Karl

    2011-04-01

    The rare earth crisis slowly evolved during a 10 to 15 year period beginning in the mid-1980s, when the Chinese began to export mixed rare earth concentrates. In the early 1990s, they started to move up the supply chain and began to export the individual rare earth oxides and metals. By the late 1990s the Chinese exported higher value products, such as magnets, phosphors, polishing compounds, catalysts; and in the 21st century they supplied finished products including electric motors, computers, batteries, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), TVs and monitors, mobile phones, iPods and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) light bulbs. As they movedmore » to higher value products, the Chinese slowly drove the various industrial producers and commercial enterprises in the US, Europe and Japan out of business by manipulating the rare earth commodity prices. Because of this, the technically trained rare earth engineers and scientists who worked in areas from mining to separations, to processing to production, to manufacturing of semifinished and final products, were laid-off and moved to other fields or they retired. However, in the past year the Chinese have changed their philosophy of the 1970s and 1980s of forming a rare earth cartel to control the rare earth markets to one in which they will no longer supply the rest of the world (ROW) with their precious rare earths, but instead will use them internally to meet the growing demand as the Chinese standard of living increases. To this end, they have implemented and occasionally increased export restrictions and added an export tariff on many of the high demand rare earth elements. Now the ROW is quickly trying to start up rare earth mines, e.g. Molycorp Minerals in the US and Lynas Corp. in Australia, to cover this shortfall in the worldwide market, but it will take about five years for the supply to meet the demand, even as other mines in the ROW become productive. Unfortunately, today there is a serious lack of technically

  12. Rare earth-based low-index films for IR and multispectral thin film solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stolze, Markus; Neff, Joe; Waibel, Friedrich

    2017-10-01

    Non-thoriated rare-earth fluoride based coating solutions involving DyF3 and YbF3 based films as well as non-wetting fluorohydrocarbon cap layers on such films, have been deposited, analyzed and partly optimized. Intermediate results for DyF3 based films from ion assisted e-gun deposition with O2 and N2 alone and as base for the non-wetting to-player as well as for YbF3 starting material with or without admixtures of CaF2 are discussed for low-loss LWIR and multispectral solutions.

  13. Ternary rare earth-lanthanide sulfides

    DOEpatents

    Takeshita, Takuo; Gschneidner, Jr., Karl A.; Beaudry, Bernard J.

    1987-01-06

    A new ternary rare earth sulfur compound having the formula: La.sub.3-x M.sub.x S.sub.4 where M is a rare earth element selected from the group europium, samarium and ytterbium and x=0.15 to 0.8. The compound has good high-temperature thermoelectric properties and exhibits long-term structural stability up to 1000.degree. C.

  14. Rare earths

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gambogi, J.

    2013-01-01

    Global mine production of rare earths was estimated to have declined slightly in 2012 relative to 2011 (Fig. 1). Production in China was estimated to have decreased to 95 from 105 kt (104,700 from 115,700 st) in 2011, while new mine production in the United States and Australia increased.

  15. The influence of high heat input and inclusions control for rare earth on welding in low alloy high strength steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Rensheng; Mu, Shukun; Liu, Jingang; Li, Zhanjun

    2017-09-01

    In the current paper, it is analyzed for the influence of high heat input and inclusions control for rare earth on welding in low alloy high strength steel. It is observed for the structure for different heat input of the coarse-grained area. It is finest for the coarse grain with the high heat input of 200 kJ / cm and the coarse grain area with 400 kJ / cm is the largest. The performance with the heat input of 200 kJ / cm for -20 °C V-shaped notch oscillatory power is better than the heat input of 400 kJ / cm. The grain structure is the ferrite and bainite for different holding time. The grain structure for 5s holding time has a grain size of 82.9 μm with heat input of 200 kJ/cm and grain size of 97.9 μm for 10s holding time. For the inclusions for HSLA steel with adding rare earth, they are Al2O3-CaS inclusions in the Al2O3-CaS-CaO ternary phase diagram. At the same time, it can not be found for low melting calcium aluminate inclusions compared to the inclusions for the HSLA steel without rare earth. Most of the size for the inclusions is between 1 ~ 10μm. The overall grain structure is smaller and the welding performance is more excellent for adding rare earth.

  16. Improved method for preparing rare earth sesquichalcogenides

    DOEpatents

    Takeshita, T.; Beaudry, B.J.; Gschneidner, K.A. Jr.

    1982-04-14

    An improved method for the preparation of high purity rare earth sesquichalcogenides is described. The rare earth, as one or more pieces of the metal, is sealed under a vacuum with a stoichiometric amount of sulfur or selenium and a small amount of iodine into a quartz reaction vessel. The sealed vessel is then heated to above the vaporization temperature of the chalcogen and below the melting temperature of the rare earth metal and maintained until the product has been formed. The iodine is then vaporized off leaving a pure product. The rare earth sulfides and selenides thus formed are useful as semiconductors and as thermoelectric generators. 3 tables.

  17. Alaska's rare earth deposits and resource potential

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barker, James C.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.

    2012-01-01

    Alaska’s known mineral endowment includes some of the largest and highest grade deposits of various metals, including gold, copper and zinc. Recently, Alaska has also been active in the worldwide search for sources of rare earth elements (REE) to replace exports now being limitedby China. Driven by limited supply of the rare earths, combined with their increasing use in new ‘green’ energy, lighting, transportation, and many other technological applications, the rare earth metals neodymium, europium and, in particular, the heavy rare earth elements terbium, dysprosium and yttrium are forecast to soon be in critical short supply (U.S. Department of Energy, 2010).

  18. Rare earth element scavenging in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byrne, Robert H.; Kim, Ki-Hyun

    1990-10-01

    Examinations of rare earth element (REE) adsorption in seawater, using a variety of surface-types, indicated that, for most surfaces, light rare earth elements (LREEs) are preferentially adsorbed compared to the heavy rare earths (HREEs). Exceptions to this behavior were observed only for silica phases (glass surfaces, acid-cleaned diatomaceous earth, and synthetic SiO 2). The affinity of the rare earths for surfaces can be strongly affected by thin organic coatings. Glass surfaces which acquired an organic coating through immersion in Tampa Bay exhibited adsorptive behavior typical of organic-rich, rather than glass, surfaces. Models of rare earth distributions between seawater and carboxylate-rich surfaces indicate that scavenging processes which involve such surfaces should exhibit a strong dependence on pH and carbonate complexation. Scavenging models involving carboxylate surfaces produce relative REE abundance patterns in good general agreement with observed shale-normalized REE abundances in seawater. Scavenging by carboxylate-rich surfaces should produce HREE enrichments in seawater relative to the LREEs and may produce enrichments of lanthanum relative to its immediate trivalent neighbors. Due to the origin of distribution coefficients as a difference between REE solution complexation (which increases strongly with atomic number) and surface complexation (which apparently also increases with atomic number) the relative solution abundance patterns of the REEs produced by scavenging reactions can be quite complex.

  19. Yttrium and rare earth stabilized fast reactor metal fuel

    DOEpatents

    Guon, Jerold; Grantham, LeRoy F.; Specht, Eugene R.

    1992-01-01

    To increase the operating temperature of a reactor, the melting point and mechanical properties of the fuel must be increased. For an actinide-rich fuel, yttrium, lanthanum and/or rare earth elements can be added, as stabilizers, to uranium and plutonium and/or a mixture of other actinides to raise the melting point of the fuel and improve its mechanical properties. Since only about 1% of the actinide fuel may be yttrium, lanthanum, or a rare earth element, the neutron penalty is low, the reactor core size can be reduced, the fuel can be burned efficiently, reprocessing requirements are reduced, and the nuclear waste disposal volumes reduced. A further advantage occurs when yttrium, lanthanum, and/or other rare earth elements are exposed to radiation in a reactor, they produce only short half life radioisotopes, which reduce nuclear waste disposal problems through much shorter assured-isolation requirements.

  20. Rare Earth Elements | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

    Science.gov Websites

    - Mineral Resources main content Rare Earth Elements Rare earth elements and the supply and demand of these deposits containing rare earth elements to meet the perceived future demand. High prices for rare earth earth element occurrences in the DGGS publications catalog. Department of Natural Resources, Division of

  1. Rare earths, the lanthanides, yttrium and scandium

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bedinger, G.; Bleiwas, D.

    2012-01-01

    In 2011, rare earths were recovered from bastnasite concentrates at the Mountain Pass Mine in California. Consumption of refined rare-earth products decreased in 2011 from 2010. U.S. rare-earth imports originated primarily from China, with lesser amounts from Austria, Estonia, France and Japan. The United States imported all of its demand for yttrium metal and yttrium compounds, with most of it originating from China. Scandium was imported in various forms and processed domestically.

  2. 40 CFR 721.6005 - Rare earth phosphate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Rare earth phosphate (generic). 721... Substances § 721.6005 Rare earth phosphate (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substances identified generically as rare earth phophate (PMNs P-99...

  3. 40 CFR 721.6005 - Rare earth phosphate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Rare earth phosphate (generic). 721... Substances § 721.6005 Rare earth phosphate (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substances identified generically as rare earth phophate (PMNs P-99...

  4. 40 CFR 721.6005 - Rare earth phosphate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Rare earth phosphate (generic). 721... Substances § 721.6005 Rare earth phosphate (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substances identified generically as rare earth phophate (PMNs P-99...

  5. 40 CFR 721.6005 - Rare earth phosphate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Rare earth phosphate (generic). 721... Substances § 721.6005 Rare earth phosphate (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substances identified generically as rare earth phophate (PMNs P-99...

  6. 40 CFR 721.6005 - Rare earth phosphate (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Rare earth phosphate (generic). 721... Substances § 721.6005 Rare earth phosphate (generic). (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substances identified generically as rare earth phophate (PMNs P-99...

  7. Systematic variation of rare earths in monazite

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Murata, K.J.; Rose, H.J.; Carron, M.K.

    1953-01-01

    Ten monazites from widely scattered localities have been analyzed for La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Y and Th by means of a combined chemical and emission spectrographic method. The analytical results, calculated to atomic percent of total rare earths (thorium excluded), show a considerable variation in the proportions of every element except praseodymium, which is relatively constant. The general variation trends of the elements may be calculated by assuming that the monazites represent different stages in a fractional precipitation process, and by assuming that there is a gradational increase in the precipitability of rare earth elements with decreasing ionic radius. Fractional precipitation brings about an increase in lanthanum and cerium, little change in praseodymium, and a decrease in neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, and yttrium. Deviations from the calculated lines of variation consist of a simultaneous, abnormal increase or decrease in the proportions of cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium with antipathetic decrease or increase in the proportions of the other elements. These deviations are ascribed to abnormally high or low temperatures that affect the precipitability of the central trio of elements (Ce, Pr, Nd) relatively more than that of the other elements. The following semiquantitative rules have been found useful in describing the composition of rare earths from monazite: 1. 1. The sum of lanthanum and neodymium is very nearly a constant at 42 ?? 2 atomic percent. 2. 2. Praseodymium is very nearly constant at 5 ?? 1 atomic percent. 3. 3. The sum of Ce, Sm, Gd, and Y is very nearly a constant at 53 ?? 3 atomic percent. No correlation could be established between the content of Th and that of any of the rare earth elements. ?? 1953.

  8. Low energy spin dynamics of rare-earth orthoferrites YFeO3 and LaFeO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Kisoo; Sim, Hasung; Leiner, Jonathan; Yoshida, Yoshiyuki; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Yano, Shinichiro; Gardner, Jason; Park, Je-Geun

    YFeO3 and LaFeO3\\ are members of the rare-earth orthoferrites (RFeO3) family with Pbnm space group. With the strong superexchange interaction between Fe3 + ions, both compounds exhibit the room temperature antiferromagnetic order (TN >600 K) with a slight spin canting. Here we report low-energy magnetic excitation of YFeO3 and LaFeO3 using inelastic neutron scattering measurements, showing evidence of magnon mode splitting and a spin anisotropy gap at the zone center. Spin wave calculations with the spin Hamiltonian including both Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction and single-ion anisotropy accounts for the observed features well. Our results offer insight into the underlying physics of other RFeO3\\ with magnetic rare-earth ions or related Fe3+-based multiferroic perovskites such as BiFeO3. The work at the IBS CCES (South Korea) was supported by the research program of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS-R009-G1).

  9. Low temperature synthesis of LnOF rare-earth oxyfluorides through reaction of the oxides with PTFE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dutton, S.E., E-mail: sdutton@princeton.edu; Hirai, D.; Cava, R.J.

    2012-03-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Low temperature synthesis of LnOF rare-earth oxyfluorides from Ln{sub 2}O{sub 3} and PTFE (CF{sub 2}). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rhombohedral LnOF is the major phase and forms as nanocrystals, 29-103 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Expected lanthanide contraction observed in lattice parameters and bond lengths. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TbOF orders antiferromagnetically at 10 K and has a metamagnetic transition at 1.8 T. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer GdOF orders antiferromagnetically at 5 K, other LnOF are paramagnetic. -- Abstract: A low temperature solid-state synthesis route, employing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and the rare-earth oxides, for the formation of the LnOF rare-earth oxyfluorides (Ln = Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb,more » Dy, Ho, Er), is reported. With the exception of LaOF, which forms in a tetragonal variant, rhomobohedral LnOF is found to be the major product of the reaction. In the case of PrOF, a transition from the rhombohedral to the cubic fluorite phase is observed on heating in air to 500 Degree-Sign C. X-ray diffraction shows the expected lanthanide contraction in the lattice parameters and bond lengths. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show antiferromagnetic-like ordering in TbOF, T{sub m} = 10 K, with a metamagnetic transition at a field {mu}{sub 0}H{sub t} = 1.8 T at 2 K. An antiferromagnetic transition, T{sub N} = 4 K, is observed in GdOF. Paramagnetic behavior is observed above 2 K in PrOF, NdOF, DyOF, HoOF and ErOF. The magnetic susceptibility of EuOF is characteristic of Van Vleck paramagnetism.« less

  10. Interfacing broadband photonic qubits to on-chip cavity-protected rare-earth ensembles

    PubMed Central

    Zhong, Tian; Kindem, Jonathan M.; Rochman, Jake; Faraon, Andrei

    2017-01-01

    Ensembles of solid-state optical emitters enable broadband quantum storage and transduction of photonic qubits, with applications in high-rate quantum networks for secure communications and interconnecting future quantum computers. To transfer quantum states using ensembles, rephasing techniques are used to mitigate fast decoherence resulting from inhomogeneous broadening, but these techniques generally limit the bandwidth, efficiency and active times of the quantum interface. Here, we use a dense ensemble of neodymium rare-earth ions strongly coupled to a nanophotonic resonator to demonstrate a significant cavity protection effect at the single-photon level—a technique to suppress ensemble decoherence due to inhomogeneous broadening. The protected Rabi oscillations between the cavity field and the atomic super-radiant state enable ultra-fast transfer of photonic frequency qubits to the ions (∼50 GHz bandwidth) followed by retrieval with 98.7% fidelity. With the prospect of coupling to other long-lived rare-earth spin states, this technique opens the possibilities for broadband, always-ready quantum memories and fast optical-to-microwave transducers. PMID:28090078

  11. An Overview of Rare Earth Science and Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gschneidner, Karl, Jr.

    2012-02-01

    Currently rare earth science and technology is robust: this includes all the major branches of science -- biochemistry, chemistry, materials and physics. There are, however, currently some anomalies and distortions especially in the technology and applications sector of the rare earth field, which is caused by the dominance of China on the sales of rare earths and rare earth containing products. For the past 5 to 10 years ˜95% of rare earths utilized in commerce came from China. Although Chinese actions have lead to sudden and large price spikes and export embargoes, the rare earths are still available but at a higher cost. The start up of production in 2011 at mines in the USA and Australia will alleviate this situation in about two years. Basic and applied research on the condensed matter physics/materials science has hardly been impacted by these events, but new research opportunities are opening up especially with regard to the USA's military and energy security. Magnets seems to be the hottest topic, but research on battery materials, phosphors and catalysts are also (or should be) strongly considered.

  12. The interaction of ultra-low-frequency pc3-5 waves with charged particles in Earth's magnetosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zong, Qiugang; Rankin, Robert; Zhou, Xuzhi

    2017-12-01

    One of the most important issues in space physics is to identify the dominant processes that transfer energy from the solar wind to energetic particle populations in Earth's inner magnetosphere. Ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves are an important consideration as they propagate electromagnetic energy over vast distances with little dissipation and interact with charged particles via drift resonance and drift-bounce resonance. ULF waves also take part in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and thus play an essential role in regulating energy flow throughout the entire system. This review summarizes recent advances in the characterization of ULF Pc3-5 waves in different regions of the magnetosphere, including ion and electron acceleration associated with these waves.

  13. Ames Lab 101: Rare-Earth Recycling

    ScienceCinema

    Ryan Ott

    2017-12-22

    Recycling keeps paper, plastics, and even jeans out of landfills. Could recycling rare-earth magnets do the same? Perhaps, if the recycling process can be improved. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory are working to more effectively remove the neodymium, a rare earth, from the mix of other materials in a magnet.

  14. Rare Earth Optical Temperature Sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, Donald L. (Inventor); Jenkins, Phillip (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    A rare earth optical temperature sensor is disclosed for measuring high temperatures. Optical temperature sensors exist that channel emissions from a sensor to a detector using a light pipe. The invention uses a rare earth emitter to transform the sensed thermal energy into a narrow band width optical signal that travels to a detector using a light pipe. An optical bandpass filter at the detector removes any noise signal outside of the band width of the signal from the emitter.

  15. Game meat authentication through rare earth elements fingerprinting.

    PubMed

    Danezis, G P; Pappas, A C; Zoidis, E; Papadomichelakis, G; Hadjigeorgiou, I; Zhang, P; Brusic, V; Georgiou, C A

    2017-10-23

    Accurate labelling of meat (e.g. wild versus farmed, geographical and genetic origin, organic versus conventional, processing treatment) is important to inform the consumers about the products they buy. Meat and meat products declared as game have higher commercial value making them target to fraudulent labelling practices and replacement with non-game meat. We have developed and validated a new method for authentication of wild rabbit meat using elemental metabolomics approach. Elemental analysis was performed using rapid ultra-trace multi-element measurement by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Elemental signatures showed excellent ability to discriminate the wild rabbit from non-wild rabbit meat. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of metabolic markers -rare earth signatures, as well as other trace element signatures for game meat authentication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Bioleaching of rare earth elements from monazite sand.

    PubMed

    Brisson, Vanessa L; Zhuang, Wei-Qin; Alvarez-Cohen, Lisa

    2016-02-01

    Three fungal strains were found to be capable of bioleaching rare earth elements from monazite, a rare earth phosphate mineral, utilizing the monazite as a phosphate source and releasing rare earth cations into solution. These organisms include one known phosphate solubilizing fungus, Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015, as well as two newly isolated fungi: an Aspergillus terreus strain ML3-1 and a Paecilomyces spp. strain WE3-F. Although monazite also contains the radioactive element Thorium, bioleaching by these fungi preferentially solubilized rare earth elements over Thorium, leaving the Thorium in the solid residual. Adjustments in growth media composition improved bioleaching performance measured as rare earth release. Cell-free spent medium generated during growth of A. terreus strain ML3-1 and Paecilomyces spp. strain WE3-F in the presence of monazite leached rare earths to concentrations 1.7-3.8 times those of HCl solutions of comparable pH, indicating that compounds exogenously released by these organisms contribute substantially to leaching. Organic acids released by the organisms included acetic, citric, gluconic, itaconic, oxalic, and succinic acids. Abiotic leaching with laboratory prepared solutions of these acids was not as effective as bioleaching or leaching with cell-free spent medium at releasing rare earths from monazite, indicating that compounds other than the identified organic acids contribute to leaching performance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Rare-Earth-compound nanowires, nanotubes, and fullerene-like nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and properties.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xun; Li, Yadong

    2003-11-21

    Various low-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes, nanosheets, and fullerene-like nanoparticles have been selectively synthesized from rare-earth compounds (hydroxides, fluorides) based on a facile hydrothermal method. The subsequent dehydration, sulfidation, and fluoridation processes lead to the formation of rare-earth oxide, oxysulfide, and oxyhalide nanostructures, which can be functionalized further by doping with other rare-earth ions or by coating with metal nanoparticles. Owing to the interesting combination of novel nanostructures and functional compounds, these nanostructures can be expected to bring new opportunities in the vast research areas of and application in biology, catalysts, and optoelectronic devices.

  18. ThMn12-type phases for magnets with low rare-earth content: Crystal-field analysis of the full magnetization process.

    PubMed

    Tereshina, I S; Kostyuchenko, N V; Tereshina-Chitrova, E A; Skourski, Y; Doerr, M; Pelevin, I A; Zvezdin, A K; Paukov, M; Havela, L; Drulis, H

    2018-02-26

    Rare-earth (R)-iron alloys are a backbone of permanent magnets. Recent increase in price of rare earths has pushed the industry to seek ways to reduce the R-content in the hard magnetic materials. For this reason strong magnets with the ThMn 12  type of structure came into focus. Functional properties of R(Fe,T) 12 (T-element stabilizes the structure) compounds or their interstitially modified derivatives, R(Fe,T) 12 -X (X is an atom of hydrogen or nitrogen) are determined by the crystal-electric-field (CEF) and exchange interaction (EI) parameters. We have calculated the parameters using high-field magnetization data. We choose the ferrimagnetic Tm-containing compounds, which are most sensitive to magnetic field and demonstrate that TmFe 11 Ti-H reaches the ferromagnetic state in the magnetic field of 52 T. Knowledge of exact CEF and EI parameters and their variation in the compounds modified by the interstitial atoms is a cornerstone of the quest for hard magnetic materials with low rare-earth content.

  19. Antibacterial, Antifungal and Nematicidal Activities of Rare Earth Ions.

    PubMed

    Wakabayashi, Tokumitsu; Ymamoto, Ayumi; Kazaana, Akira; Nakano, Yuta; Nojiri, Yui; Kashiwazaki, Moeko

    2016-12-01

    Despite the name, rare earth elements are relatively abundant in soil. Therefore, these elements might interact with biosphere during the history of life. In this study, we have examined the effect of rare earth ions on the growth of bacteria, fungi and soil nematode. All rare earth ions, except radioactive promethium that we have not tested, showed antibacterial and antifungal activities comparable to that of copper ions, which is widely used as antibacterial metals in our daily life. Rare earth ions also have nematicidal activities as they strongly perturb the embryonic development of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Interestingly, the nematicidal activity increased with increasing atomic number of lanthanide ions. Since the rare earth ions did not show high toxicity to the human lymphoblastoid cell line or even stimulate the growth of the cultured cells at 1 mM, it raised the possibility that we can substitute rare earth elements for the antibacterial metals usually used because of their safety.

  20. Micromagnetics of rare-earth efficient permanent magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fischbacher, Johann; Kovacs, Alexander; Gusenbauer, Markus; Oezelt, Harald; Exl, Lukas; Bance, Simon; Schrefl, Thomas

    2018-05-01

    The development of permanent magnets containing less or no rare-earth elements is linked to profound knowledge of the coercivity mechanism. Prerequisites for a promising permanent magnet material are a high spontaneous magnetization and a sufficiently high magnetic anisotropy. In addition to the intrinsic magnetic properties the microstructure of the magnet plays a significant role in establishing coercivity. The influence of the microstructure on coercivity, remanence, and energy density product can be understood by using micromagnetic simulations. With advances in computer hardware and numerical methods, hysteresis curves of magnets can be computed quickly so that the simulations can readily provide guidance for the development of permanent magnets. The potential of rare-earth reduced and rare-earth free permanent magnets is investigated using micromagnetic simulations. The results show excellent hard magnetic properties can be achieved in grain boundary engineered NdFeB, rare-earth magnets with a ThMn12 structure, Co-based nano-wires, and L10-FeNi provided that the magnet’s microstructure is optimized.

  1. Rare Earth Doped High Temperature Ceramic Selective Emitters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, Donald L.; Pal, AnnaMarie; Patton, Martin O.; Jenkins, Phillip P.

    1999-01-01

    As a result of their electron structure, rare earth ions in crystals at high temperature emit radiation in several narrow bands rather than in a continuous blackbody manner. This study develops a spectral emittance model for films of rare earth containing materials. Although there are several possible rare earth doped high temperature materials, this study was confined to rare earth aluminum garnets. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical spectral emittances was found for erbium, thulium and erbium-holmium aluminum garnets. Spectral emittances of these films are sensitive to temperature differences across the film. Emitter efficiency is also a sensitive function of temperature. For thulium aluminum garnet the efficiency is 0.38 at 1700 K but only 0.19 at 1262 K.

  2. SALICYLATE PROCESS FOR THORIUM SEPARATION FROM RARE EARTHS

    DOEpatents

    Cowan, G.A.

    1959-08-25

    The separation of thorium from rare earths is accomplished by forming an aqueous solution of salts of thorium and rare earths and sufficient acetate buffer to provide a pH of between 2 and 5, adding an ammonium salicylate to the aqueous buffered solution, contacting the resultant solution with a substantially water-immiscible organic solvent mixture of an ether and an ester, and separating the solvent extract phase containing thorium salicylate from the aqueous phase containing the rare earths.

  3. Experimental Tests of UltraFlex Array Designs in Low Earth Orbital and Geosynchronous Charging Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galofaro, Joel T.; Vayner, Boris V.; Hillard, Grover B.

    2011-01-01

    The present ground based investigations give the first definitive look describing the expected on-orbit charging behavior of Orion UltraFlex array coupons in the Low Earth Orbital and Geosynchronous Environments. Furthermore, it is important to note that the LEO charging environment also applies to the International Space Station as well as to the lunar mission charging environments. The GEO charging environment includes the bounding case for all lunar orbital and lunar surface mission environments. The UltraFlex thin film photovoltaic array technology has been targeted to become the sole power system for life support and on-orbit power for the manned Aires Crew Exploration Vehicle. It is therefore, crucial to gain an understanding of the complex charging behavior to answer some of the basic performance and survivability issues in an attempt to ascertain that a single UltraFlex array design will be able to cope with the projected worst case LEO and GEO charging environments. Testing was limited to four array coupons, two coupons each from two different array manufactures, Emcore and Spectrolab. The layout of each array design is identical and varies only in the actual cell technology used. The individual array cells from each manufacturer have an antireflection layered coating and come in two different varieties either uncoated (only AR coating) or coated with a thin conducting ITO layer. The LEO Plasma tests revealed that all four coupons passed the arc threshold -120 V bias tests. GEO electron gun charging tests revealed that only front side area of ITO coated coupons passed tests. Only the Emcore AR array passed backside Stage 2 GEO Tests.

  4. Rare earth elements and permanent magnets (invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dent, Peter C.

    2012-04-01

    Rare earth (RE) magnets have become virtually indispensible in a wide variety of industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, and military. RE elements are essential ingredients in these high performance magnets based on intermetallic compounds RECo5, RE2TM17 (TM: transition metal), and RE2TM14B. Rare earth magnets are known for their superior magnetic properties—high induction, and coercive force. These properties arise due to the extremely high magnetocrystalline anisotropy made possible by unique 3d-4f interactions between transition metals and rare earths. For more than 40 years, these magnets remain the number one choice in applications that require high magnetic fields in extreme operating conditions—high demagnetization forces and high temperature. EEC produces and specializes in RECo5 and RE2TM17 type sintered magnets. Samarium and gadolinium are key RE ingredients in the powder metallurgical magnet production processes which include melting, crushing, jet milling, pressing, sintering, and heat treating. The magnetic properties and applications of these magnets will be discussed. We will also briefly discuss the past, current, and future of the permanent magnet business. Currently, over 95% of all pure rare earth oxides are sourced from China, which currently controls the market. We will provide insights regarding current and potential new magnet technologies and designer choices, which may mitigate rare earth supply chain issues now and into the future.

  5. METHOD OF SEPARATING RARE EARTHS BY ION EXCHANGE

    DOEpatents

    Spedding, F.H.; Powell, J.E.

    1960-10-18

    A process is given for separating yttrium and rare earth values having atomic numbers of from 57 through 60 and 68 through 71 from an aqueous solution whose pH value can range from 1 to 9. All rare earths and yttrium are first adsorbed on a cation exchange resin, and they are then eluted with a solution of N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA) in the order of decreasing atomic number, yttrium behaving like element 61; the effluents are collected in fractions. The HEDTA is recovered by elution with ammonia solution and the resin is regenerated with sulfuric acid. Rare earths are precipitated from the various effluents with oxalic acid, and each supernatant is passed over cation exchange resin for adsorption of HEDTA and nonprecipitated rare earths: the oxalic acid is not retained by the resin.

  6. Replacing critical rare earth materials in high energy density magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCallum, R. William

    2012-02-01

    High energy density permanent magnets are crucial to the design of internal permanent magnet motors (IPM) for hybride and electric vehicles and direct drive wind generators. Current motor designs use rare earth permanent magnets which easily meet the performance goals, however, the rising concerns over cost and foreign control of the current supply of rare earth resources has motivated a search for non-rare earth based permanent magnets alloys with performance metrics which allow the design of permanent magnet motors and generators without rare earth magnets. This talk will discuss the state of non-rare-earth permanent magnets and efforts to both improve the current materials and find new materials. These efforts combine first principles calculations and meso-scale magnetic modeling with advance characterization and synthesis techniques in order to advance the state of the art in non rare earth permanent magnets. The use of genetic algorithms in first principle structural calculations, combinatorial synthesis in the experimental search for materials, atom probe microscopy to characterize grain boundaries on the atomic level, and other state of the art techniques will be discussed. In addition the possibility of replacing critical rare earth elements with the most abundant rare earth Ce will be discussed.

  7. Effects of rare earth doping on multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petran, Anca; Radu, Teodora; Borodi, Gheorghe; Nan, Alexandrina; Suciu, Maria; Turcu, Rodica

    2018-01-01

    New multi-core iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles doped with rare earth metals (Gd, Eu) were obtained by a one step synthesis procedure using a solvothermal method for potential biomedical applications. The obtained clusters were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and magnetization measurements. They possess high colloidal stability, a saturation magnetization of up to 52 emu/g, and nearly spherical shape. The presence of rare earth ions in the obtained samples was confirmed by EDX and XPS. XRD analysis proved the homogeneous distribution of the trivalent rare earth ions in the inverse-spinel structure of magnetite and the increase of crystal strain upon doping the samples. XPS study reveals the valence state and the cation distribution on the octahedral and tetrahedral sites of the analysed samples. The observed shift of the XPS valence band spectra maximum in the direction of higher binding energies after rare earth doping, as well as theoretical valence band calculations prove the presence of Gd and Eu ions in octahedral sites. The blood protein adsorption ability of the obtained samples surface, the most important factor of the interaction between biomaterials and body fluids, was assessed by interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The rare earth doped clusters surface show higher afinity for binding BSA. In vitro cytotoxicity test results for the studied samples showed no cytotoxicity in low and medium doses, establishing a potential perspective for rare earth doped MNC to facilitate multiple therapies in a single formulation for cancer theranostics.

  8. Crystalline rare-earth activated oxyorthosilicate phosphor

    DOEpatents

    McClellan, Kenneth J.; Cooke, D. Wayne

    2004-02-10

    Crystalline, transparent, rare-earth activated lutetium oxyorthosilicate phosphor. The phosphor consists essentially of lutetium yttrium oxyorthosilicate activated with a rare-earth metal dopant M and having the general formula Lu(.sub.2-x-z)Y.sub.x M.sub.z SiO.sub.5, wherein 0.00.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.95, wherein 0.001.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.02, and wherein M is selected from Sm, Tb, Tm, Eu, Yb, and Pr. The phosphor also consists essentially of lutetium gadolinium oxyorthosilicate activated with a rare-earth metal dopant M and having the general formula Lu(.sub.2-x-z)Gd.sub.x M.sub.z SiO.sub.5, wherein 0.00.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.95, wherein 0.001.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.02, and wherein M is selected from Sm, Tb, Tm, Eu, Yb, and Pr. The phosphor also consists essentially of gadolinium yttrium oxyorthosilicate activated with a rare-earth metal dopant M and having the general formula Gd(.sub.2-x-z)Y.sub.x M.sub.z SiO.sub.5, wherein 0.00.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.95, wherein 0.001.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.02, and wherein M is selected from Sm, Tb, Tm, Eu, Yb, and Pr. The phosphor may be optically coupled to a photodetector to provide a radiation detector.

  9. Intrinsic hydrophilic nature of epitaxial thin-film of rare-earth oxide grown by pulsed laser deposition.

    PubMed

    Prakash, Saurav; Ghosh, Siddhartha; Patra, Abhijeet; Annamalai, Meenakshi; Motapothula, Mallikarjuna Rao; Sarkar, Soumya; Tan, Sherman J R; Zhunan, Jia; Loh, Kian Ping; Venkatesan, T

    2018-02-15

    Herein, we report a systematic study of water contact angle (WCA) of rare-earth oxide thin-films. These ultra-smooth and epitaxial thin-films were grown using pulsed laser deposition and then characterized using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Through both the traditional sessile drop and the novel f-d method, we found that the films were intrinsically hydrophilic (WCA < 10°) just after being removed from the growth chamber, but their WCAs evolved with an exposure to the atmosphere with time to reach their eventual saturation values near 90° (but always stay 'technically' hydrophilic). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was used to further investigate qualitatively the nature of hydrocarbon contamination on the freshly prepared as well as the environmentally exposed REO thin-film samples as a function of the exposure time after they were removed from the deposition chamber. A clear correlation between the carbon coverage of the surface and the increase in WCA was observed for all of the rare-earth films, indicating the extrinsic nature of the surface wetting properties of these films and having no relation to the electronic configuration of the rare-earth atoms as proposed by Azimi et al.

  10. Mother Lode: The Untapped Rare Earth Mineral Resources of Vietnam

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-11-01

    Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain, 4. 14 Tse , Pui-Kwan. China’s Rare-Earth Industry...U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1042, 2. Figure 2. Global REO production, 1960-2011. Source: Tse , Pui-Kwan. China’s Rare-Earth...3 compiled from three sources: Tse , Pui-Kwan. China’s Rare-Earth Industry: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1042, 4; Areddy, James T

  11. Rare earth phosphors and phosphor screens

    DOEpatents

    Buchanan, Robert A.; Maple, T. Grant; Sklensky, Alden F.

    1981-01-01

    This invention relates to rare earth phosphor screens for converting image carrying incident radiation to image carrying visible or near-visible radiation and to the rare earth phosphor materials utilized in such screens. The invention further relates to methods for converting image carrying charged particles to image carrying radiation principally in the blue and near-ultraviolet region of the spectrum and to stabilized rare earth phosphors characterized by having a continuous surface layer of the phosphors of the invention. More particularly, the phosphors of the invention are oxychlorides and oxybromides of yttrium, lanthanum and gadolinium activated with trivalent cerium and the conversion screens are of the type illustratively including x-ray conversion screens, image amplifier tube screens, neutron imaging screens, cathode ray tube screens, high energy gamma ray screens, scintillation detector screens and screens for real-time translation of image carrying high energy radiation to image carrying visible or near-visible radiation.

  12. PROCESS FOR SEPARATING AMERICIUM AND CURIUM FROM RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

    DOEpatents

    Baybarz, R.D.; Lloyd, M.H.

    1963-02-26

    This invention relates to methods of separating americium and curium values from rare earth values. In accordance with the invention americium, curium, and rare earth values are sorbed on an anion exchange resin. A major portion of the rare earth values are selectively stripped from the resin with a concentrated aqueous solution of lithium chloride, and americium, curium, and a minor portion of rare earth values are then stripped from the resin with a dilute aqueous solution of lithium chloride. The americium and curium values are further purified by increasing the concentration of lithium chloride in the solution to at least 8 molar and selectively extracting rare earth values from the resulting solution with a monoalkylphosphoric acid. (AEC)

  13. Squeezing clathrate cages to host trivalent rare-earth guests

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Jian; He, Yuping; Mordvinova, Natalia E.

    Strike difference of the trivalent rare-earth cations from their alkali and alkaline-earth peers is in the presence of localized 4f-electrons and strong spin-orbit coupling. Placing trivalent rare-earth cations inside the fullerene molecules or in between the blocks of itinerant magnetic intermetallics gave rise to plethora of fascinating properties and materials. A long-time missing but hardly desired piece is the semiconducting or metallic compound where rare-earth cations are situated inside the oversized polyhedral cages of three-dimensional framework. In this work we present a synthesis of such compounds, rare-earth containing clathrates Ba 8-xR xCu 16P 30. The unambiguous proofs of their compositionmore » and crystal structure were achieved by a combination of synchrotron powder diffraction, time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction, scanning-transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Our quantum-mechanical calculations and experimental characterizations show that the incorporation of the rare-earth cations significantly enhances the hole mobility and concentration which results in the drastic increase in the thermoelectric performance.« less

  14. Determination of thorium and of rare earth elements in cerium earth minerals and ores

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carron, M.K.; Skinner, D.L.; Stevens, R.E.

    1955-01-01

    The conventional oxalate method for precipitating thorium and the rare earth elements in acid solution exhibits definite solubilities of these elements. The present work was undertaken to establish conditions overcoming these solubilities and to find optimum conditions for precipitating thorium and the rare earth elements as hydroxides and sebacates. The investigations resulted in a reliable procedure applicable to samples in which the cerium group elements predominate. The oxalate precipitations are made from homogeneous solution at pH 2 by adding a prepared solution of anhydrous oxalic acid in methanol instead of the more expensive crystalline methyl oxalate. Calcium is added as a carrier. Quantitative precipitation of thorium and the rare earth elements is ascertained by further small additions of calcium to the supernatant liquid, until the added calcium precipitates as oxalate within 2 minutes. Calcium is removed by precipitating the hydroxides of thorium and rare earths at room temperature by adding ammonium hydroxide to pH > 10. Thorium is separated as the sebacate at pH 2.5, and the rare earths are precipitated with ammonium sebacate at pH 9. Maximum errors for combined weights of thorium and rare earth oxides on synthetic mixtures are ??0.6 mg. Maximum error for separated thoria is ??0.5 mg.

  15. Rare-earth metal prices in the USA ca. 1960 to 1994

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hedrick, James B.

    1997-01-01

    Rare-earth metal prices were compiled from the late 1950s and early 1960s through 1994. Although commercial demand for rare-earth metals began in 1908, as the alloy mischmetal, commercial quantities of a wide range of individual rare-earth metals were not available until the late 1950s. The discovery of a large, high-grade rare-earth deposit at Mountain Pass. CA, USA, in 1949, was significant because it led to the production of commercial quantities or rare-earth elements that reduced prices and encouraged wider application of the materials. The availability of ore from Mountain Pass, and other large rare-earth deposits, especially those in Australia and China, has provided the world with abundant resources for rare-earth metal production. This availability, coupled with improved technology from Government and private-sector metallurgical research, has resulted in substantial decreases in rare-earth metal prices since the late 1950s and early 1960s. Price series for the individual rare-earth metals (except promethium) are quoted on a kilogram basis from the late 1950s and early 1960s through 1994. Prices are given in US dollars on an actual and constant dollar basis. Industrial and economic factors affecting prices during this time period are examined.

  16. Rare-earth metal prices in the USA ca. 1960 to 1994

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hedrick, J.B.

    1997-01-01

    Rare-earth metal prices were compiled from the late 1950s and early 1960s through 1994. Although commercial demand for rare-earth metals began in 1908, as the alloy mischmetal, commercial quantities of a wide range of individual rare-earth metals were not available until the late 1950s. The discovery of a large, high-grade rare-earth deposit at Mountain Pass, CA, USA, in 1949, was significant because it led to the production of commercial quantities of rare-earth elements that reduced prices and encouraged wider application of the materials. The availability of ore from Mountain Pass, and other large rare-earth deposits, especially those in Australia and China, has provided the world with abundant resources for rare-earth metal production. This availability, coupled with improved technology from Government and private-sector metallurgical research, has resulted in substantial decreases in rare-earth metal prices since the late 1950s and early 1960s. Price series for the individual rare-earth metals (except promethium) are quoted on a kilogram basis from the late 1950s and early 1960s through 1994. Prices are given in US dollars on an actual and constant dollar basis. Industrial and economic factors affecting prices during this time period are examined.

  17. China's Rare Earth Supply Chain: Illegal Production, and Response to new Cerium Demand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Imholte, D. Devin

    2016-07-01

    As the demand for personal electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles increases, the world becomes more dependent on rare earth elements. Given the volatile, Chinese-concentrated supply chain, global attempts have been made to diversify supply of these materials. However, the overall effect of supply diversification on the entire supply chain, including increasing low-value rare earth demand, is not fully understood. This paper is the first attempt to shed some light on China's supply chain from both demand and supply perspectives, taking into account different Chinese policies such as mining quotas, separation quotas, export quotas, and resource taxes. We constructed a simulation model using Powersim Studio that analyzes production (both legal and illegal), production costs, Chinese and rest-of-world demand, and market dynamics. We also simulated new demand of an automotive aluminum-cerium alloy in the US market starting from 2018. Results showed that market share of the illegal sector has grown since 2007-2015, ranging between 22% and 25% of China's rare earth supply, translating into 59-65% illegal heavy rare earths and 14-16% illegal light rare earths. There will be a shortage in certain light and heavy rare earths given three production quota scenarios and constant demand growth rate from 2015 to 2030. The new simulated Ce demand would require supply beyond that produced in China. Finally, we illustrate revenue streams for different ore compositions in China in 2015.

  18. Rare earth niobate coordination polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muniz, Collin N.; Patel, Hiral; Fast, Dylan B.; Rohwer, Lauren E. S.; Reinheimer, Eric W.; Dolgos, Michelle; Graham, Matt W.; Nyman, May

    2018-03-01

    Rare-earth (RE) coordination polymers are infinitely tailorable to yield luminescent materials for various applications. Here we described the synthesis of a heterometallic rare-earth coordination compound ((CH3)2SO)3(RE)NbO(C2O4)3((CH3)2SO) = dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO, (C2O2= oxalate), (RE=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb). The structure was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction of the La analogue. The Nb˭O and DMSO terminal-bonding character guides assembly of an open framework structure with noncentrosymmetric RE-coordination geometry, and large spacing between the RE centers. A second structure was observed by PXRD for the smaller rare earths (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb); this structure has not yet been determined. The materials were further characterized using FTIR, and photoluminescence measurements. Characteristic excitation and emission transitions were observed for RE = Nd, Sm, Eu, and Tb. Quantum yield (QY) measurements were performed by exciting Eu and Tb analoges at 394 nm (QY 66%) and 464 nm (QY 71%) for Eu; and 370 nm (QY=40%) for Tb. We attribute the high QY and bright luminescence to two main structure-function properties of the system; namely the absence of water in the structure, and absence of concentration quenching.

  19. Google Earth locations of USA and seafloor hydrothermal vents with associated rare earth element data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Andrew Fowler

    Google Earth .kmz files that contain the locations of geothermal wells and thermal springs in the USA, and seafloor hydrothermal vents that have associated rare earth element data. The file does not contain the actual data, the actual data is available through the GDR website in two tier 3 data sets entitled "Compilation of Rare Earth Element Analyses from US Geothermal Fields and Mid Ocean Ridge (MOR) Hydrothermal Vents" and "Rare earth element content of thermal fluids from Surprise Valley, California"

  20. [Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and rare earth elements uptake of soybean grown in rare earth mine tailings].

    PubMed

    Guo, Wei; Zhao, Ren-xin; Zhao, Wen-jing; Fu, Rui-ying; Guo, Jiang-yuan; Zhang, Jun

    2013-05-01

    A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus versiforme on the plant growth, nutrient uptake, C: N: P stoichiometric, uptake of heavy metals and rare earth elements by soybean (Glycine max) grown in rare earth mine tailings. The aim was to provide a basis for the revegetation of rare earth mine tailings. The results indicated that soybean had a high mycorrhizal colonization and symbiotic associations were successfully established with G. versiforme, with an average rate of approximately 67%. The colonization of G. versiforme significantly promoted the growth of soybean, increased P, K contents, and decreased C: N: P ratios, supporting the growth rate hypothesis. Inoculation with G. versiforme significantly decreased shoots and roots La, Ce, Pr and Nd concentrations of soybean compared to the control treatment. However, inoculation with G. versiforme had no significant effect on the heavy metal concentrations, except for significantly decreased shoot Fe and Cr concentrations and increased root Cd concentrations. The experiment demonstrates that AM fungi have a potential role for soybean to adapt the composite adversity of rare earth tailings and play a positive role in revegetation of rare earth mine tailings. Further studies on the role of AM fungi under natural conditions should be conducted.

  1. Techno-Economic Assessment for Integrating Biosorption into Rare Earth Recovery Process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jiao, Yongqin; Sutherland, John; Jin, Hongyue

    The current uncertainty in the global supply of rare earth elements (REEs) necessitates the development of novel extraction technologies that utilize a variety of REE source materials. Herein, we examined the techno-economic performance of integrating a biosorption approach into a large-scale process for producing salable total rare earth oxides (TREOs) from various feedstocks. An airlift bioractor is proposed to carry out a biosorption process mediated by bioengineered rare earth-adsorbing bacteria. Techno-econmic asssements were compared for three distinctive categories of REE feedstocks requiring different pre-processing steps. Key parameters identified that affect profitability include REE concentration, composition of the feedstock, and costsmore » of feedstock pretreatment and waste management. Among the 11 specific feedstocks investigated, coal ash from the Appalachian Basin was projected to be the most profitable, largely due to its high-value REE content. Its cost breakdown includes pre-processing (primarily leaching) (8077.71%), biosorption (1619.04%), and oxalic acid precipitation and TREO roasting (3.35%). Surprisingly, biosorption from the high-grade Bull Hill REE ore is less profitable due to high material cost and low production revenue. Overall, our results confirmed that the application of biosorption to low-grade feedstocks for REE recovery is economically viable.« less

  2. Evaluation of Rare Earth Element Extraction from North Dakota Coal-Related Feed Stocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laudal, Daniel A.

    that would be sufficient to leverage existing separation and refining methods developed for the traditional mineral ore industry, and iv) develop a process that is economically viable and environmentally benign. To achieve these overall goals, and to prove or disprove the research hypotheses, the research scope was broken down into three main efforts: i) sampling and characterization of potential feedstocks, ii) laboratory-scale development and testing of rare earth element extraction and concentration methods, and iii) process design and technical and economic feasibility evaluation. In total, 174 unique samples were collected, and several locations were identified that exceeded the 300 ppm total rare earth elements target. The results showed that on a whole sample basis, the rare earths are most concentrated in the clay-rich sediments associated with the coal seams, but on an ash basis in certain locations within certain coal seams the content is significantly higher, an unexpected finding given prior research. At Falkirk Mine near Underwood, North Dakota three coal seams were found to have elevated levels of rare earths, ranging from about 300 to 600 ppm on an ash basis. Additionally, exceptionally high rare earths content was found in samples collected from an outcropping of the Harmon-Hansen coal zone in southwestern North Dakota that contained 2300 ppm on an ash basis. The results dictated that extraction and concentration methods be developed for these rare earth element-rich coals, instead of the mineral-rich sediments. This effort also found that at a commercial-scale, due to non-uniformity of the rare earths content stratigraphically in the coal seams, selective mining practices will be needed to target specific locations within the seams. The bulk mining and blending practices as Falkirk Mine result in a relatively low total rare earths content in the feed coal entering the Coal Creek Power Station adjacent to the mine. Characterization of the coal samples

  3. Effect of Mechanochemical and Roasting Techniques for Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Indonesian Low-Grade Bauxite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusrini, E.; Harjanto, S.; Herdino, F.; Prasetyanto, EA; Rahman, A.

    2018-03-01

    In this research, the extraction of lanthanides from low-grade bauxite via mechanochemical and roasting methods has been studied. The addition of NaOH during mechanochemical process significantly increased the yield of collected rare earth elements. The effect of roasting process at temperatures in the ranges from 400°C to 1100°C was analyzed. The highest recovery values of lanthanide that extracted from low-grade bauxite at various temperatures and ratio low-grade bauxite and NaOH solid, with variations in the ratio of 1: 1 and 2: 1 were obtained for yttrium (∼95.6%), lanthanum (∼79.6%), cerium (∼54.7%), neodymium (∼81.8%), and samarium (∼80.0%) from the theoretical value.

  4. Rare Earth Optical Temperature Sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, Donald L.; Wolford, David S.

    2000-01-01

    A new optical temperature sensor suitable for high temperatures (greater than 1700 K) and harsh environments is introduced. The key component of the sensor is the rare earth material contained at the end of a sensor that is in contact with the sample being measured. The measured narrow wavelength band emission from the rare earth is used to deduce the sample temperature. A simplified relation between the temperature and measured radiation was verified experimentally. The upper temperature limit of the sensor is determined by material limits to be approximately 2000 C. The lower limit, determined by the minimum detectable radiation, is found to be approximately 700 K. At high temperatures 1 K resolution is predicted. Also, millisecond response times are calculated.

  5. Radioactive rare-earth deposit at Scrub Oaks mine, Morris County, New Jersey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Klemic, Harry; Heyl, A.V.; Taylor, Audrey R.; Stone, Jerome

    1959-01-01

    A deposit of rare-earth minerals in the Scrub Oaks iron mine, Morris County, N. J., was mapped and sampled in 1955. The rare-earth minerals are mainly in coarse-grained magnetite ore and in pegmatite adjacent to it. Discrete bodies of rare-earth-bearing magnetite ore apparently follow the plunge of the main magnetite ore body at the north end of the mine. Radioactivity of the ore containing rare earths is about 0.2 to 0.6 mllliroentgens per hour. The principal minerals of the deposit are quartz, magnetite, hematite, albiteoligoclase, perthite and antiperthite. Xenotime and doverite aggregates and bastnaesite with intermixed leucoxene are the most abundant rare-earth minerals, and zircon, sphene, chevkinite, apatite, and monazite are of minor abundance in the ore. The rare-earth elements are partly differentiated into cerium-rich bastnaesite, chevkinite, and monazite, and yttrium-rich xenotime and doverite. Apatite, zircon, and sphene contain both cerium and yttrium group earths. Eleven samples of radioactive ore and rock average 0.009 percent uranium, 0.062 percent thorium, 1.51 percent combined rare-earth oxides including yttrium oxide and 24.8 percent iron. Scatter diagrams of sample data show a direct correlation between equivalent uranium, uranium, thorium, and combined rare^ earth oxides. Both cerium- and yttrium-group earths are abundant in the rare-earth minerals. Radioactive magnetite ore containing rare-earth minerals probably formed as a variant of the magnetite mineralization that produced the main iron ore of the Scrub Oaks deposit. The rare-earth minerals and the iron ore were deposited contemporaneously. Zircon crystals, probably deposited at the same time, have been determined by the Larsen method to be about 550 to 600 million years old (late Precambrian age). Uranium, thorium, and rare-earth elements are potential byproducts of iron in the coarse-grained magnetite ore.

  6. CADMIUM-RARE EARTH BORATE GLASS AS REACTOR CONTROL MATERIAL

    DOEpatents

    Ploetz, G.L.; Ray, W.E.

    1958-11-01

    A reactor control rod fabricated from a cadmiumrare earth-borate glass is presented. The rare earth component of this glass is selected from among those rare earths having large neutron capture cross sections, such as samarium, gadolinium or europium. Partlcles of this glass are then dispersed in a metal matrix by standard powder metallurgy techniques.

  7. Development of an underground HPGe array facility for ultra low radioactivity measurements

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sala, E.; Kang, W. G.; Kim, Y. D.

    Low Level Counting techniques using low background facilities are continuously under development to increase the possible sensitivity needed for rare physics events experiments. The CUP (Center for Underground Physics) group of IBS is developing, in collaboration with Canberra, a ultra low background instrument composed of two arrays facing each other with 7 HPGe detectors each. The low radioactive background of each detector has been evaluated and improved by the material selection of the detector components. Samples of all the building materials have been provided by the manufacturer and the contaminations had been measured using an optimized low background 100% HPGemore » with a dedicated shielding. The evaluation of the intrinsic background has been performed using MonteCarlo simulations and considering the contribution of each material with the measured contamination. To further reduce the background, the instrument will be placed in the new underground laboratory at YangYang exploiting the 700m mountain coverage and radon-free air supplying system. The array has been designed to perform various Ultra Low background measurements; the sensitivity we are expecting will allow not only low level measurements of Ra and Th contaminations in Copper or other usually pure materials, but also the search for rare decays. In particular some possible candidates and configurations to detect the 0νECEC (for example {sup 106}Cd and {sup 156}Dy) and rare β decays ({sup 96}Zr, {sup 180m}Ta , etc ) are under study.« less

  8. Half-sandwich rare-earth-catalyzed olefin polymerization, carbometalation, and hydroarylation.

    PubMed

    Nishiura, Masayoshi; Guo, Fang; Hou, Zhaomin

    2015-08-18

    The search for new catalysts for more efficient, selective chemical transformations and for the synthesis of new functional materials has been a long-standing research subject in both academia and industry. To develop new generations of catalysts that are superior or complementary to the existing ones, exploring the potential of untapped elements is an important strategy. Rare-earth elements, including scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides (La-Lu), constitute one important frontier in the periodic table. Rare-earth elements possess unique chemical and physical properties that are different from those of main-group and late-transition metals. The development of rare-earth-based catalysts by taking the advantage of these unique properties is of great interest and importance. The most stable oxidation state of rare-earth metals is 3+, which is difficult to change under many reaction conditions. The oxidative addition and reductive elimination processes often observed in catalytic cycles involving late transition metals are generally difficult in the case of rare-earth complexes. The 18-electron rule that is applicable to late-transition-metal complexes does not fit rare-earth complexes, whose structures are mainly governed by the sterics (rather than the electron numbers) of the ligands. In the lanthanide series (La-Lu), the ionic radius gradually decreases with increasing atomic number because of the influence of the 4f electrons, which show poor shielding of nuclear charge. Rare-earth metal ions generally show strong Lewis acidity and oxophilicity. Rare-earth metal alkyl and hydride species are highly reactive, showing both nucleophilicity and basicity. The combination of these features, such as the strong nucleophilicity and moderate basicity of the alkyl and hydride species and the high stability, strong Lewis acidity, and unsaturated C-C bond affinity of the 3+ metal ions, can make rare-earth metals unique candidates for the formation of excellent single

  9. Electronic Characteristics of Rare Earth Doped GaN Schottky Diodes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-21

    REPORT TYPE Master’s Thesis 3. DATES COVERED (From – To) 04 Sep 2011 - Mar 2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ELECTRONIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RARE EARTH ...ELECTRONIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RARE EARTH DOPED GaN SCHOTTKY DIODES THESIS Aaron B. Blanning...United States. AFIT-ENP-13-M-03 Electronic Characteristics of Rare Earth Doped GaN Schottky Diodes THESIS Presented to the Faculty

  10. Rare earth niobate coordination polymers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Muniz, Collin N.; Patel, Hiral; Fast, Dylan B.

    Rare-earth (RE) coordination polymers are infinitely tailorable to yield luminescent materials for various applications. In this paper we described the synthesis of a heterometallic rare-earth coordination compound ((CH 3) 2SO) 3(RE)NbO(C 2O 4) 3 ((CH 3) 2SO) = dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO, (C 2O 2 = oxalate), (RE=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb). The structure was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction of the La analogue. The Nb =O and DMSO terminal-bonding character guides assembly of an open framework structure with noncentrosymmetric RE-coordination geometry, and large spacing between the RE centers. A second structure was observed by PXRD for themore » smaller rare earths (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb); this structure has not yet been determined. The materials were further characterized using FTIR, and photoluminescence measurements. Characteristic excitation and emission transitions were observed for RE = Nd, Sm, Eu, and Tb. Quantum yield (QY) measurements were performed by exciting Eu and Tb analoges at 394 nm (QY 66%) and 464 nm (QY 71%) for Eu; and 370 nm (QY=40%) for Tb. Finally, we attribute the high QY and bright luminescence to two main structure-function properties of the system; namely the absence of water in the structure, and absence of concentration quenching.« less

  11. Rare earth niobate coordination polymers

    DOE PAGES

    Muniz, Collin N.; Patel, Hiral; Fast, Dylan B.; ...

    2018-01-03

    Rare-earth (RE) coordination polymers are infinitely tailorable to yield luminescent materials for various applications. In this paper we described the synthesis of a heterometallic rare-earth coordination compound ((CH 3) 2SO) 3(RE)NbO(C 2O 4) 3 ((CH 3) 2SO) = dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO, (C 2O 2 = oxalate), (RE=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb). The structure was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction of the La analogue. The Nb =O and DMSO terminal-bonding character guides assembly of an open framework structure with noncentrosymmetric RE-coordination geometry, and large spacing between the RE centers. A second structure was observed by PXRD for themore » smaller rare earths (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb); this structure has not yet been determined. The materials were further characterized using FTIR, and photoluminescence measurements. Characteristic excitation and emission transitions were observed for RE = Nd, Sm, Eu, and Tb. Quantum yield (QY) measurements were performed by exciting Eu and Tb analoges at 394 nm (QY 66%) and 464 nm (QY 71%) for Eu; and 370 nm (QY=40%) for Tb. Finally, we attribute the high QY and bright luminescence to two main structure-function properties of the system; namely the absence of water in the structure, and absence of concentration quenching.« less

  12. Rare Earth Element Concentration of Wyoming Thermal Waters Update

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Quillinan, Scott; Nye, Charles; Neupane, Hari

    Updated version of data generated from rare earth element investigation of produced waters. These data represent major, minor, trace, isotopes, and rare earth element concentrations in geologic formations and water associated with oil and gas production.

  13. Method for treating rare earth-transition metal scrap

    DOEpatents

    Schmidt, Frederick A.; Peterson, David T.; Wheelock, John T.; Jones, Lawrence L.

    1992-12-29

    Rare earth-transition metal (e.g., iron) scrap (e.g., Nd-Fe-B scrap) is flux (slag) remelted to reduce tramp non-metallic impurities, such as oxygen and nitrogen, and metallic impurities, such as Li, Na, Al, etc., picked up by the scrap from previous fabrication operations. The tramp impurities are reduced to concentrations acceptable for reuse of the treated alloy in the manufacture of end-use articles, such as permanent magnets. The scrap is electroslag or inductoslag melted using a prefused, rare earth fluoride-bearing flux of CaF.sub.2, CaCl.sub.2 or mixtures thereof or the slag resulting from practice of the thermite reduction process to make a rare earth-iron alloy.

  14. Method for treating rare earth-transition metal scrap

    DOEpatents

    Schmidt, F.A.; Peterson, D.T.; Wheelock, J.T.; Jones, L.L.

    1992-12-29

    Rare earth-transition metal (e.g., iron) scrap (e.g., Nd-Fe-B scrap) is flux (slag) remelted to reduce tramp non-metallic impurities, such as oxygen and nitrogen, and metallic impurities, such as Li, Na, Al, etc., picked up by the scrap from previous fabrication operations. The tramp impurities are reduced to concentrations acceptable for reuse of the treated alloy in the manufacture of end-use articles, such as permanent magnets. The scrap is electroslag or inductoslag melted using a rare earth fluoride-bearing flux of CaF[sub 2], CaCl[sub 2] or mixtures thereof or the slag resulting from practice of the thermite reduction process to make a rare earth-iron alloy. 3 figs.

  15. China’s rare earth supply chain: Illegal production, and response to new cerium demand

    DOE PAGES

    Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Imholte, D. Devin

    2016-03-29

    As the demand for personal electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles increases, the world becomes more dependent on rare earth elements. Given the volatile, Chinese-concentrated supply chain, global attempts have been made to diversify supply of these materials. However, the overall effect of supply diversification on the entire supply chain, including increasing low-value rare earth demand, is not fully understood. This paper is the first attempt to shed some light on China’s supply chain from both demand and supply perspectives, taking into account different Chinese policies such as mining quotas, separation quotas, export quotas, and resource taxes. We constructedmore » a simulation model using Powersim Studio that analyzes production (both legal and illegal), production costs, Chinese and rest-of-world demand, and market dynamics. We also simulated new demand of an automotive aluminum-cerium alloy in the U.S. market starting from 2018. Results showed that market share of the illegal sector has grown since 2007 to 2015, ranging between 22% and 25% of China’s rare earth supply, translating into 59–65% illegal heavy rare earths and 14–16% illegal light rare earths. There would be a shortage in certain light and heavy rare earths given three production quota scenarios and constant demand growth rate from 2015 to 2030. The new simulated Ce demand would require supply beyond that produced in China. Lastly, we illustrated revenue streams for different ore compositions in China in 2015.« less

  16. China’s rare earth supply chain: Illegal production, and response to new cerium demand

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Imholte, D. Devin

    As the demand for personal electronic devices, wind turbines, and electric vehicles increases, the world becomes more dependent on rare earth elements. Given the volatile, Chinese-concentrated supply chain, global attempts have been made to diversify supply of these materials. However, the overall effect of supply diversification on the entire supply chain, including increasing low-value rare earth demand, is not fully understood. This paper is the first attempt to shed some light on China’s supply chain from both demand and supply perspectives, taking into account different Chinese policies such as mining quotas, separation quotas, export quotas, and resource taxes. We constructedmore » a simulation model using Powersim Studio that analyzes production (both legal and illegal), production costs, Chinese and rest-of-world demand, and market dynamics. We also simulated new demand of an automotive aluminum-cerium alloy in the U.S. market starting from 2018. Results showed that market share of the illegal sector has grown since 2007 to 2015, ranging between 22% and 25% of China’s rare earth supply, translating into 59–65% illegal heavy rare earths and 14–16% illegal light rare earths. There would be a shortage in certain light and heavy rare earths given three production quota scenarios and constant demand growth rate from 2015 to 2030. The new simulated Ce demand would require supply beyond that produced in China. Lastly, we illustrated revenue streams for different ore compositions in China in 2015.« less

  17. Topology optimization of reduced rare-earth permanent magnet arrays with finite coercivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teyber, R.; Trevizoli, P. V.; Christiaanse, T. V.; Govindappa, P.; Rowe, A.

    2018-05-01

    The supply chain risk of rare-earth permanent magnets has yielded research efforts to improve both materials and magnetic circuits. While a number of magnet optimization techniques exist, literature has not incorporated the permanent magnet failure process stemming from finite coercivity. To address this, a mixed-integer topology optimization is formulated to maximize the flux density of a segmented Halbach cylinder while avoiding permanent demagnetization. The numerical framework is used to assess the efficacy of low-cost (rare-earth-free ferrite C9), medium-cost (rare-earth-free MnBi), and higher-cost (Dy-free NdFeB) permanent magnet materials. Novel magnet designs are generated that produce flux densities 70% greater than the segmented Halbach array, albeit with increased magnet mass. Three optimization formulations are then explored using ferrite C9 that demonstrates the trade-off between manufacturability and design sophistication, generating flux densities in the range of 0.366-0.483 T.

  18. Condensation and fractionation of rare earths in the solar nebula

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, A. M.; Grossman, L.

    1979-01-01

    The condensation behavior of the rare earth elements in the solar nebula is calculated on the basis of the most recent thermodynamic data in order to construct a model explaining group II rare earth element patterns in Allende inclusions. Models considered all involve the removal of large fractions of the more refractory heavy rare earth elements in an early condensate, followed by the condensation of the remainder at a lower temperature. It is shown that the model of Boynton (1975) in which one rare earth element component is dissolved nonideally in perovskite according to relative activity coefficients can not reasonably be made to fit the observed group II patterns. A model in which two rare earth components control the patterns and dissolve ideally in perovskite is proposed and shown to be able to account for the 20 patterns by variations of the perovskite removal temperature and the relative proportions of the two components.

  19. Rare-earth-free high energy product manganese-based magnetic materials.

    PubMed

    Patel, Ketan; Zhang, Jingming; Ren, Shenqiang

    2018-06-14

    The constant drive to replace rare-earth metal magnets has initiated great interest in an alternative. Manganese (Mn) has emerged to be a potential candidate as a key element in rare-earth-free magnets. Its five unpaired valence electrons give it a large magnetocrystalline energy and the ability to form several intermetallic compounds. These factors have led Mn-based magnets to be a potential replacement for rare-earth permanent magnets for several applications, such as efficient power electronics, energy generators, magnetic recording and tunneling applications, and spintronics. For past few decades, Mn-based magnets have been explored in many different forms, such as bulk magnets, thin films, and nanoparticles. Here, we review the recent progress in the synthesis and structure-magnetic property relationships of Mn-based rare-earth-free magnets (MnBi, MnAl and MnGa). Furthermore, we discuss their potential to replace rare-earth magnetic materials through the control of their structure and composition to achieve the theoretically predicted magnetic properties.

  20. Resistivity and magnetoresistivity of amorphous rare-earth alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borchi, E.; Poli, M.; De Gennaro, S.

    1982-05-01

    The resistivity and magnetoresistivity of amorphous rare-earth alloys are studied starting from the general approach of Van Peski-Tinbergen and Dekker. The random axial crystal-field and the magnetic correlations between the rare-earth ions are consistently taken into account. The characteristic features of the available experimental data are explained both of the case of random ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order.

  1. Environment spectrum and coherence behaviours in a rare-earth doped crystal for quantum memory.

    PubMed

    Gong, Bo; Tu, Tao; Zhou, Zhong-Quan; Zhu, Xing-Yu; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

    2017-12-21

    We theoretically investigate the dynamics of environment and coherence behaviours of the central ion in a quantum memory based on a rare-earth doped crystal. The interactions between the central ion and the bath spins suppress the flip-flop rate of the neighbour bath spins and yield a specific environment spectral density S(ω). Under dynamical decoupling pulses, this spectrum provides a general scaling for the coherence envelope and coherence time, which significantly extend over a range on an hour-long time scale. The characterized environment spectrum with ultra-long coherence time can be used to implement various quantum communication and information processing protocols.

  2. Ferroelectricity of domain walls in rare earth iron garnet films.

    PubMed

    Popov, A I; Zvezdin, K A; Gareeva, Z V; Mazhitova, F A; Vakhitov, R M; Yumaguzin, A R; Zvezdin, A K

    2016-11-16

    In this paper, we report on electric polarization arising in a vicinity of Bloch-like domain walls in rare-earth iron garnet films. The domain walls generate an intrinsic magnetic field that breaks an antiferroelectric structure formed in the garnets due to an exchange interaction between rare earth and iron sublattices. We explore 180° domain walls whose formation is energetically preferable in the films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Magnetic and electric structures of the 180° quasi-Bloch domain walls have been simulated at various relations between system parameters. Singlet, doublet ground states of rare earth ions and strongly anisotropic rare earth Ising ions have been considered. Our results show that electric polarization appears in rare earth garnet films at Bloch domain walls, and the maximum of magnetic inhomogeneity is not always linked to the maximum of electric polarization. A number of factors including the temperature, the state of the rare earth ion and the type of a wall influence magnetically induced electric polarization. We show that the value of polarization can be enhanced by the shrinking of the Bloch domain wall width, decreasing the temperature, and increasing the deviations of magnetization from the Bloch rotation that are regulated by impacts given by magnetic anisotropies of the films.

  3. Environmental Defects And Economic Impact On Global Market Of Rare Earth Metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Charalampides, G.; Vatalis, K.; Karayannis, V.; Baklavaridis, A.

    2016-11-01

    Rare earth elements include the 14 lanthanides as well as lanthanium and often yttrium. Actually, most of them are not very rare and occur widely dispersed in a variety of rocks. Rare earth metals are vital to some of the world's faster growing industries: catalysts, Nd-magnets, ceramics, glass, metallurgy, battery alloys, electronics and phosphors. Worldwide, the main countries for distribution of rare earths deposits include China, USA, Russia, Brasil, India, Australia, Greenland and Malaysia. The mining and processing of rare earth metals usually result in significant environmental defects. Many deposits are associated with high concentrations of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium, which requires separate treatment and disposal. The accumulation of rare earth elements in soils has occurred due to pollution caused by the exploitation of rare earth resources and the wide use of rare earths as fertilizers in agriculture. This accumulation has a toxic effect on the soil microfauna community. However, there are large differences in market prices due to the degree of purity determined by the specifications in the applications. The main focus of this article is to overview Rare Earth Metals’ overall impact on global economy and their environmental defects on soils during processing techniques and as they are used as fertilizers.

  4. Membrane assisted solvent extraction for rare earth element recovery

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhave, Ramesh R.; Kim, Daejin; Peterson, Eric S.

    Systems and methods for the recovery of rare earth elements are provided. The systems and methods generally include membrane assisted solvent extraction using permeable hollow fibers having an immobilized organic phase within the pores of the hollow fibers. The permeable hollow fibers are generally in contact with an acidic aqueous feed on one side thereof and a strip solution on another side thereof. The systems and methods generally include the simultaneous extraction and stripping of rare earth elements as a continuous recovery process that is well suited for post-consumer products, end-of-life products, and other recovery sources of rare earth elements.

  5. Computational search for rare-earth free hard-magnetic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flores Livas, José A.; Sharma, Sangeeta; Dewhurst, John Kay; Gross, Eberhard; MagMat Team

    2015-03-01

    It is difficult to over state the importance of hard magnets for human life in modern times; they enter every walk of our life from medical equipments (NMR) to transport (trains, planes, cars, etc) to electronic appliances (for house hold use to computers). All the known hard magnets in use today contain rare-earth elements, extraction of which is expensive and environmentally harmful. Rare-earths are also instrumental in tipping the balance of world economy as most of them are mined in limited specific parts of the world. Hence it would be ideal to have similar characteristics as a hard magnet but without or at least with reduced amount of rare-earths. This is the main goal of our work: search for rare-earth-free magnets. To do so we employ a combination of density functional theory and crystal prediction methods. The quantities which define a hard magnet are magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) and saturation magnetization (Ms), which are the quantities we maximize in search for an ideal magnet. In my talk I will present details of the computation search algorithm together with some potential newly discovered rare-earth free hard magnet. J.A.F.L. acknowledge financial support from EU's 7th Framework Marie-Curie scholarship program within the ``ExMaMa'' Project (329386).

  6. Prospective analysis of the flows of certain rare earths in Europe at the 2020 horizon.

    PubMed

    Rollat, Alain; Guyonnet, Dominique; Planchon, Mariane; Tuduri, Johann

    2016-03-01

    This paper proposes a forecast of certain rare earth flows in Europe at the 2020 horizon, based on an analysis of trends influencing various actors of the rare earth industry along the value chain. While 2020 is indicated as the forecast horizon, the analysis should be considered as more representative of the next decade. The rare earths considered here are used in applications that are important for a low-carbon energy transition and/or have a significant recycling potential: NdFeB magnets (Pr, Nd, Dy), NiMH batteries (Pr, Nd) and fluorescent lamp phosphors (Eu, Tb, Y). An analysis of major trends affecting the rare earth industry in Europe along the value chain (including extraction, separation, fabrication, manufacture, use and recycling), helps to build a scenario for a material flow analysis of these rare earths in Europe. The scenario assumes in particular that during the next decade, there exists a rare earth mine in production in Europe (with Norra Kärr in Sweden as a most likely candidate) and also that recycling is in line with targets proposed in recent European legislation. Results are presented in the form of Sankey diagrams which help visualize the various flows for the three applications. For example, calculations forecast flows from extraction to separation of Pr, Nd and Dy for magnet applications in Europe, on the order of 310 tons, 980 tons and 80 tons rare earth metal resp., while recycled flows are 35 tons, 110 tons and 30 tons resp. Calculations illustrate how the relative contribution of recycling to supply strongly depends on the situation with respect to demand. Considering the balance between supply and demand, it is not anticipated any significant shortage of rare earth supply in Europe at the 2020 horizon, barring any new geopolitical crisis involving China. For some heavy rare earths, supply will in fact largely outweigh demand, as for example Europium due to the phasing out of fluorescent lights by LEDs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

  7. Rare-earth-doped materials with application to optical signal processing, quantum information science, and medical imaging technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cone, R. L.; Thiel, C. W.; Sun, Y.; Böttger, Thomas; Macfarlane, R. M.

    2012-02-01

    Unique spectroscopic properties of isolated rare earth ions in solids offer optical linewidths rivaling those of trapped single atoms and enable a variety of recent applications. We design rare-earth-doped crystals, ceramics, and fibers with persistent or transient "spectral hole" recording properties for applications including high-bandwidth optical signal processing where light and our solids replace the high-bandwidth portion of the electronics; quantum cryptography and information science including the goal of storage and recall of single photons; and medical imaging technology for the 700-900 nm therapeutic window. Ease of optically manipulating rare-earth ions in solids enables capturing complex spectral information in 105 to 108 frequency bins. Combining spatial holography and spectral hole burning provides a capability for processing high-bandwidth RF and optical signals with sub-MHz spectral resolution and bandwidths of tens to hundreds of GHz for applications including range-Doppler radar and high bandwidth RF spectral analysis. Simply stated, one can think of these crystals as holographic recording media capable of distinguishing up to 108 different colors. Ultra-narrow spectral holes also serve as a vibration-insensitive sub-kHz frequency reference for laser frequency stabilization to a part in 1013 over tens of milliseconds. The unusual properties and applications of spectral hole burning of rare earth ions in optical materials are reviewed. Experimental results on the promising Tm3+:LiNbO3 material system are presented and discussed for medical imaging applications. Finally, a new application of these materials as dynamic optical filters for laser noise suppression is discussed along with experimental demonstrations and theoretical modeling of the process.

  8. Thermoelectric properties of rare earth chalcogenides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Danielson, L. R.; Raag, V.; Wood, C.

    1985-01-01

    The rare earth chalcogenides are important thermoelectric materials due to their high melting points, self-doping capabilities, and low thermal conductivities. Lanthanum sulfides and lanthanum tellurides have been synthesized in quartz ampules, hot-pressed into samples, and measured. The n-type Seebeck coefficients, electrical resistivities, and power factors generally all increased as the temperature increased from 200 to 1000 C. The figure-of-merit for nonstoichiometric lanthanum telluride was 0.001/deg C at 1000 C, considerably higher than for silicon-germanium. Thermoelectric measurements were made for LaTe(2) and YbS(1.4), and p-type behavior was observed for these compounds from 300 to 1100 C.

  9. Rare earth fluoride nano-/microstructures: hydrothermal synthesis, luminescent properties and applications.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Qian; Xu, Zhenhe; Sun, Yaguang

    2014-02-01

    Rare earth fluoride materials have attracted wide interest and come to the forefront in nanophotonics due to their distinct electrical, optical and magnetic properties as well as their potential applications in diverse fields such as optical telecommunication, lasers, biochemical probes, infrared quantum counters, and medical diagnostics. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the flourishing field of rare earth fluorides materials in the past decade. We summarize the recent research progress on the preparation, morphology, luminescent properties and application of rare earth fluoride-based luminescent materials by hydrothermal systems. Various rare earth fluoride materials are obtained by fine-tuning of experimental conditions, such as capping agents, fluoride source, acidity, temperature and reaction time. The controlled morphology, luminescent properties and application of the rare earth fluorides are briefly discussed with typical examples.

  10. Low-phonon-frequency chalcogenide crystalline hosts for rare earth lasers operating beyond three microns

    DOEpatents

    Payne, Stephen A.; Page, Ralph H.; Schaffers, Kathleen I.; Nostrand, Michael C.; Krupke, William F.; Schunemann, Peter G.

    2000-01-01

    The invention comprises a RE-doped MA.sub.2 X.sub.4 crystalline gain medium, where M includes a divalent ion such as Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Eu, or Yb; A is selected from trivalent ions including Al, Ga, and In; X is one of the chalcogenide ions S, Se, and Te; and RE represents the trivalent rare earth ions. The MA.sub.2 X.sub.4 gain medium can be employed in a laser oscillator or a laser amplifier. Possible pump sources include diode lasers, as well as other laser pump sources. The laser wavelengths generated are greater than 3 microns, as becomes possible because of the low phonon frequency of this host medium. The invention may be used to seed optical devices such as optical parametric oscillators and other lasers.

  11. The Hall Effect in Hydrided Rare Earth Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koon, D. W.; Azofeifa, D. E.; Clark, N.

    We describe two new techniques for measuring the Hall effect in capped rare earth films during hydriding. In one, we simultaneously measure resistivity and the Hall coefficient for a rare earth film covered with four different thicknesses of Pd, recovering the charge transport quantities for both materials. In the second technique, we replace Pd with Mn as the covering layer. We will present results from both techniques.

  12. Effects of Rare Earth Metals on Steel Microstructures

    PubMed Central

    Pan, Fei; Zhang, Jian; Chen, Hao-Long; Su, Yen-Hsun; Kuo, Chia-Liang; Su, Yen-Hao; Chen, Shin-Hau; Lin, Kuan-Ju; Hsieh, Ping-Hung; Hwang, Weng-Sing

    2016-01-01

    Rare earth metals are used in semiconductors, solar cells and catalysts. This review focuses on the background of oxide metallurgy technologies, the chemical and physical properties of rare earth (RE) metals, the background of oxide metallurgy, the functions of RE metals in steelmaking, and the influences of RE metals on steel microstructures. Future prospects for RE metal applications in steelmaking are also presented. PMID:28773545

  13. How PNNL Extracts Rare Earth Elements from Geothermal Brine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2016-07-12

    By looking at a problem at a nanoscale level, PNNL researchers are developing an economic way to extract valuable rare earth elements from geothermal fluids. This novel approach may help meet the high demand for rare earth elements that are used in many clean energy technologies.

  14. Combinatorial search of rare-earth free permanent magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Tieren; Takeuchi, Ichiro; Fackler, Sean; Fang, Lei; Zhang, Ying; Krammer, Matthew; Anderson, Iver; McCallum, Bill; University of Maryland Collaboration; Ames Laboratory Collaboration

    2013-03-01

    Permanent magnets play important roles in modern technologies such as in generators, motors, speakers, and relays. Today's high performance permanent magnets contain at least one rare earth element such as Nd, Sm, Pr and Dy. However, rare earth elements are increasingly rare and expensive, and alternative permanent magnet materials which do not contain them are needed by the industry. We are using the thin film composition spread technique to explore novel compositions of permanent magnets without rare-earth. Ternary co-sputtering is used to generate composition spreads. We have thus far looked at Mo doped Fe-Co as one of the initial systems to search for possible compounds with enhanced coercive fields. The films were deposited on Si (100) substrates and annealed at different temperatures. The structural properties of films are mapped by synchrotron diffraction. We find that there is a structural transition from a crystalline to an amorphous state at about 20% atomic Mo. With increasing annealing temperature, the Mo onset concentration of the structural transition increases from 25% for 600°C to 35% for 700°C. We find that some of compounds display enhanced coercive field. With increasing Mo concentration, the magnetization of Fe-Co-Mo begins to switch from in-plane to out-of-plane direction. This work is funded by the BREM (Beyond Rare-earth Magnet) project (DOE EERE).

  15. Rare earths: Market disruption, innovation, and global supply chains

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eggert, Roderick; Wadia, Cyrus; Anderson, Corby; Bauer, Diana; Fields, Fletcher; Meinert, Lawrence D.; Taylor, Patrick

    2016-01-01

    Rare earths, sometimes called the vitamins of modern materials, captured public attention when their prices increased more than ten-fold in 2010 and 2011. As prices fell between 2011 and 2016, rare earths receded from public view—but less visibly they became a major focus of innovative activity in companies, government laboratories and universities. Geoscientists worked to better understand the resource base and improve our knowledge about mineral deposits that will be mines in the future. Process engineers carried out research that is making primary production and recycling more efficient. Materials scientists and engineers searched for substitutes that will require fewer or no rare earths while providing properties comparable or superior to those of existing materials. As a result, even though global supply chains are not significantly different now than they were before the market disruption, the innovative activity motivated by the disruption likely will have far-reaching, if unpredictable, consequences for supply chains of rare earths in the future.

  16. Concentrations and health risk assessment of rare earth elements in vegetables from mining area in Shandong, China.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Maoqiang; Zhao, Jinshan; Li, Suyun; Liu, Danru; Wang, Kebo; Xiao, Peirui; Yu, Lianlong; Jiang, Ying; Song, Jian; Zhou, Jingyang; Wang, Liansen; Chu, Zunhua

    2017-02-01

    To investigate the concentrations of rare earth elements in vegetables and assess human health risk through vegetable consumption, a total of 301 vegetable samples were collected from mining area and control area in Shandong, China. The contents of 14 rare earth elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The total rare earth elements in vegetables from mining and control areas were 94.08 μg kg -1 and 38.67 μg kg -1 , respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The leaf vegetable had the highest rare earth elements concentration (984.24 μg kg -1 and 81.24 μg kg -1 for mining and control areas, respectively) and gourd vegetable had the lowest rare earth elements concentration (37.34 μg kg -1 and 24.63 μg kg -1 for mining and control areas, respectively). For both areas, the rare earth elements concentration in vegetables declined in the order of leaf vegetable > taproot vegetable > alliaceous vegetable > gourd vegetable. The rare earth elements distribution patterns for both areas were characterized by enrichment of light rare earth elements. The health risk assessment demonstrated that the estimated daily intakes (0.69 μg kg -1 d -1 and 0.28 μg kg -1 d -1 for mining and control areas, respectively) of rare earth elements through vegetable consumption were significantly lower than the acceptable daily intake (70 μg kg -1 d -1 ). The damage to adults can be neglected, but more attention should be paid to the effects of continuous exposure to low levels of rare earth elements on children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Magnetomigration of rare-earth ions in inhomogeneous magnetic fields.

    PubMed

    Franczak, Agnieszka; Binnemans, Koen; Jan Fransaer

    2016-10-05

    The effects of external inhomogenous (gradient) magnetic fields on the movement of the rare-earth ions: Dy 3+ , Gd 3+ and Y 3+ , in initially homogeneous aqueous solutions have been investigated. Differences in the migration of rare-earth ions in gradient magnetic fields were observed, depending on the magnetic character of the ions: paramagnetic ions of Dy 3+ and Gd 3+ move towards regions of the sample where the magnetic field gradient is the strongest, while diamagnetic ions of Y 3+ move in the opposite direction. It has been showed that the low magnetic field gradients, such the ones generated by permanent magnets, are sufficient to observe the magnetomigration effects of the ions in solution. The present work clearly establishes the behavior of magnetically different ions in initially homogeneous aqueous solutions exposed to magnetic field gradients. To this avail, a methodology for measuring the local concentration differences of metal ions in liquid samples was developed.

  18. Assessing rare earth elements in quartz rich geological samples.

    PubMed

    Santoro, A; Thoss, V; Ribeiro Guevara, S; Urgast, D; Raab, A; Mastrolitti, S; Feldmann, J

    2016-01-01

    Sodium peroxide (Na2O2) fusion coupled to Inductively Coupled Plasma Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) measurements was used to rapidly screen quartz-rich geological samples for rare earth element (REE) content. The method accuracy was checked with a geological reference material and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) measurements. The used mass-mode combinations presented accurate results (only exception being (157)Gd in He gas mode) with recovery of the geological reference material QLO-1 between 80% and 98% (lower values for Lu, Nd and Sm) and in general comparable to INAA measurements. Low limits of detection for all elements were achieved, generally below 10 pg g(-1), as well as measurement repeatability below 15%. Overall, the Na2O2/ICP-MS/MS method proved to be a suitable lab-based method to quickly and accurately screen rock samples originating from quartz-rich geological areas for rare earth element content; particularly useful if checking commercial viability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Multilayer Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) Architectures Utilizing Rare Earth Doped YSZ and Rare Earth Pyrochlores

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmitt, Michael P.; Rai, Amarendra K.; Bhattacharya, Rabi; Zhu, Dongming; Wolfe, Douglas E.

    2014-01-01

    To allow for increased gas turbine efficiencies, new insulating thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) must be developed to protect the underlying metallic components from higher operating temperatures. This work focused on using rare earth doped (Yb and Gd) yttria stabilized zirconia (t' Low-k) and Gd2Zr2O7 pyrochlores (GZO) combined with novel nanolayered and thick layered microstructures to enable operation beyond the 1200 C stability limit of current 7 wt% yttria stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) coatings. It was observed that the layered system can reduce the thermal conductivity by approximately 45 percent with respect to YSZ after 20 hr of testing at 1316 C. The erosion rate of GZO is shown to be an order to magnitude higher than YSZ and t' Low-k, but this can be reduced by almost 57 percent when utilizing a nanolayered structure. Lastly, the thermal instability of the layered system is investigated and thought is given to optimization of layer thickness.

  20. Rare earth-transition metal scrap treatment method

    DOEpatents

    Schmidt, Frederick A.; Peterson, David T.; Wheelock, John T.; Jones, Lawrence L.; Lincoln, Lanny P.

    1992-02-11

    Rare earth-transition metal (e.g. iron) scrap (e.g. Nd-Fe-B scrap) is melted to reduce the levels of tramp oxygen and nitrogen impurities therein. The tramp impurities are reduced in the melt by virtue of the reaction of the tramp impurities and the rare earth to form dross on the melt. The purified melt is separated from the dross for reuse. The oxygen and nitrogen of the melt are reduced to levels acceptable for reuse of the treated alloy in the manufacture of end-use articles, such as permanent magnets.

  1. Rare earth-transition metal scrap treatment method

    DOEpatents

    Schmidt, F.A.; Peterson, D.T.; Wheelock, J.T.; Jones, L.L.; Lincoln, L.P.

    1992-02-11

    Rare earth-transition metal (e.g. iron) scrap (e.g. Nd-Fe-B scrap) is melted to reduce the levels of tramp oxygen and nitrogen impurities therein. The tramp impurities are reduced in the melt by virtue of the reaction of the tramp impurities and the rare earth to form dross on the melt. The purified melt is separated from the dross for reuse. The oxygen and nitrogen of the melt are reduced to levels acceptable for reuse of the treated alloy in the manufacture of end-use articles, such as permanent magnets. 3 figs.

  2. Thermophysical properties of liquid rare earth metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thakor, P. B.; Sonvane, Y. A.; Patel, H. P.; Jani, A. R.

    2013-06-01

    The thermodynamical properties like long wavelength limit S(0), iso-thermal compressibility (χT), thermal expansion coefficient (αV), thermal pressure coefficient (γV), specific heat at constant volume (CV) and specific heat at constant pressure (CP) are calculated for liquid rare earth metals. Our newly constructed parameter free model potential is used to describe the electron ion interaction due to Sarkar et al (S) local field correction function. Lastly, we conclude that our newly constructed model potential is capable to explain the thermophysical properties of liquid rare earth metals.

  3. Rare earth element recycling from waste nickel-metal hydride batteries.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiuli; Zhang, Junwei; Fang, Xihui

    2014-08-30

    With an increase in number of waste nickel-metal hydride batteries, and because of the importance of rare earth elements, the recycling of rare earth elements is becoming increasingly important. In this paper, we investigate the effects of temperature, hydrochloric acid concentration, and leaching time to optimize leaching conditions and determine leach kinetics. The results indicate that an increase in temperature, hydrochloric acid concentration, and leaching time enhance the leaching rate of rare earth elements. A maximum rare earth elements recovery of 95.16% was achieved at optimal leaching conditions of 70°C, solid/liquid ratio of 1:10, 20% hydrochloric acid concentration, -74μm particle size, and 100min leaching time. The experimental data were best fitted by a chemical reaction-controlled model. The activation energy was 43.98kJ/mol and the reaction order for hydrochloric acid concentration was 0.64. The kinetic equation for the leaching process was found to be: 1-(1-x)(1/3)=A/ρr0[HCl](0.64)exp-439,8008.314Tt. After leaching and filtration, by adding saturated oxalic solution to the filtrate, rare earth element oxalates were obtained. After removing impurities by adding ammonia, filtering, washing with dilute hydrochloric acid, and calcining at 810°C, a final product of 99% pure rare earth oxides was obtained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Anthropogenic Cycles of Rare Earth Elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, X.; Graedel, T. E.

    2009-12-01

    This research will develop quantitatively resolved anthropogenic cycles and in-use stocks for the rare earth metals specifically cerium, lanthanum and dysprosium in Japan, China, and the U.S. for the year of 2007. Rare earth elements (REE) is a group of 17 scare metals widely used in a growing number of emerging technologies and have been in high demand for emerging technologies as raw materials during past the three decades. New market participants from newly industrializing countries, primarily China, have had strong impacts on the demand of share. Consequently, the importance to sustain a reliable, steady, uninterrupted supply on global market triggered comprehensive research to recognize and understand the life cycles of rare earths. Moreover, because China plays a dominant role in mining production since 1990, it requires the assessment for the countries, which are almost completely dependent on imports from China with respect to rare earth resources. The study aims to analyze the flows and stocks of rare earth elements individually as elemental form in spite of their natural geological co-occurrence and mixed composition in applications. By applying the method of Material Flow Analysis (MFA) work has been done on evaluating current and historical flows of specific technologically significant materials, for example, copper, zinc, nickel, etc., determining the stocks available in different types of reservoirs (e.g., lithosphere, in-use) and the flows among the reservoirs, developing scenarios of possible futures of metal use, and assessing the environmental and policy implications of the results. Therefore, REE as a new target deserves inclusion because of its potential demand-supply conflict and importance to secure the competitive advantage of technical innovation in future. This work will generate a quantitatively resolved anthropogenic life cycle and in-use stocks for REE for the main target countries for a chosen year, 2007, providing flows and stocks from

  5. Methods for preparation of nanocrystalline rare earth phosphates for lighting applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Comanzo, Holly Ann; Manoharan, Mohan; Martins Loureiro, Sergio Paulo

    Disclosed here are methods for the preparation of optionally activated nanocrystalline rare earth phosphates. The optionally activated nanocrystalline rare earth phosphates may be used as one or more of quantum-splitting phosphor, visible-light emitting phosphor, vacuum-UV absorbing phosphor, and UV-emitting phosphor. Also disclosed herein are discharge lamps comprising the optionally activated nanocrystalline rare earth phosphates provided by these methods.

  6. Improvement Photocatalytic Activity of P25 by Modification with a Rare Earth-Free Upconversion Nanocrystal.

    PubMed

    Yin, Dongguang; Liu, Yumin; Zhao, Feifei; Zhang, Xinyu; Zhang, Tingting; Wu, Chenglong; Chang, Na; Chen, Zhiwen

    2018-05-01

    It has been reported that coupling TiO2 with rare earth upconversion nanocrystals (UCNCs) is an efficient strategy to significantly improve photocatalytic activity of TiO2. However, the rare earth materials are scarcity and cost, and the synthesis process of UCNCs using the rare earth materials is complicated. In the present study, we have designed a new approach using a rare earth-free upconversion nanocrystal (REF-UCNCs) as upconversion luminescent material to replace the rare earth UCNCs. A novel nanocomposite photocatalyst of REF-UCNCs@P25: Mo/GN was developed for the first time. Based on the designed structure, the REF-UCNCs, Mo-doping, and GN (graphene) have a synergistic effect that can improve catalytic activity of P25 significantly. The results of photocatalytic experiments using RhB as a model pollutant under simulated solar light irradiation show that the photocatalytic efficiency of the as-prepared catalyst is 3-folds higher than that of benchmark substance P25. This work provides a new strategy for efficiently improving catalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalysts by coupling with REF-UCNCs. This approach is facile and low-cost which can be widely applied for modification of semiconductor photocatalysts and facilitates their applications in environmental protection issues using solar light.

  7. A divalent rare earth oxide semiconductor: Yttrium monoxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaminaga, Kenichi; Sei, Ryosuke; Hayashi, Kouichi; Happo, Naohisa; Tajiri, Hiroo; Oka, Daichi; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    Rare earth sesquioxides like Y2O3 are known as widegap insulators with the highly stable closed shell trivalent rare earth ions. On the other hand, rare earth monoxides such as YO have been recognized as gaseous phase, and only EuO and YbO were thermodynamically stable solid-phase rock salt monoxides. In this study, solid-phase rock salt yttrium monoxide, YO, was synthesized in a form of epitaxial thin film by pulsed laser deposition method. YO possesses unusual valence of Y2+ ([Kr] 4d1) . In contrast with Y2O3, YO was narrow gap semiconductor with dark-brown color. The electrical conductivity was tunable from 10-1 to 103 Ω-1 cm-1 by introducing oxygen vacancies as electron donor. Weak antilocalization behavior was observed indicating significant spin-orbit coupling owing to 4 d electron carrier. The absorption spectral shape implies the Mott-Hubbard insulator character of YO. Rare earth monoixdes will be new platform of functional oxides. This work was supported by JST-CREST, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) with Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Nos. 26105002 and 26105006), and Nanotechnology Platform (Project No.12024046) of MEXT, Japan.

  8. Non-rare earth magnetic nanoparticles

    DOEpatents

    Carpenter, Everett E.; Huba, Zachary J.; Carroll, Kyler J.; Farghaly, Ahmed; Khanna, Shiv N.; Qian, Meichun; Bertino, Massimo

    2017-09-26

    Continuous flow synthetic methods are used to make single phase magnetic metal alloy nanoparticles that do not contain rare earth metals. Soft and hard magnets made from the magnetic nanoparticles are used for a variety of purposes, e.g. in electric motors, communication devices, etc.

  9. Carbonatite and alkaline intrusion-related rare earth element deposits–A deposit model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Verplanck, Philip L.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.

    2011-01-01

    The rare earth elements are not as rare in nature as their name implies, but economic deposits with these elements are not common and few deposits have been large producers. In the past 25 years, demand for rare earth elements has increased dramatically because of their wide and diverse use in high-technology applications. Yet, presently the global production and supply of rare earth elements come from only a few sources. China produces more than 95 percent of the world's supply of rare earth elements. Because of China's decision to restrict exports of these elements, the price of rare earth elements has increased and industrial countries are concerned about supply shortages. As a result, understanding the distribution and origin of rare earth elements deposits, and identifying and quantifying our nation's rare earth elements resources have become priorities. Carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes, as well as their weathering products, are the primary sources of rare earth elements. The general mineral deposit model summarized here is part of an effort by the U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Resources Program to update existing models and develop new descriptive mineral deposit models to supplement previously published models for use in mineral-resource and mineral-environmental assessments. Carbonatite and alkaline intrusion-related REE deposits are discussed together because of their spatial association, common enrichment in incompatible elements, and similarities in genesis. A wide variety of commodities have been exploited from carbonatites and alkaline igneous rocks, such as rare earth elements, niobium, phosphate, titanium, vermiculite, barite, fluorite, copper, calcite, and zirconium. Other enrichments include manganese, strontium, tantalum, thorium, vanadium, and uranium.

  10. P/M Processing of Rare Earth Modified High Strength Steels.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-12-01

    AA094 165 TRW INC CLEVELAND OH MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY F 6 P/N PROCESSING OF RARE EARTH MODIFIED HIGH STRENGTH STEELS DEC So A A SHEXM(ER NOOŕT76-C...LEVEL’ (7 PIM PROCESSING OF RARE EARTH MODIFIED HIGH STRENGTH STEELS By A. A. SHEINKER 00 TECHNICAL REPORT Prepared for Office of Naval Research...Processing of Rare Earth Modified High 1 Technical -’ 3t eC"Strength Steels * 1dc4,093Se~ 9PEFRIGOGNZTONAEADADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASK

  11. Self-assemblies of luminescent rare earth compounds in capsules and multilayers.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Renjie; Shang, Juanjuan; Xin, Jing; Xie, Beibei; Li, Ya; Möhwald, Helmuth

    2014-05-01

    This review addresses luminescent rare earth compounds assembled in microcapsules as well as in planar films fabricated by the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique, the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method and in self-assembled monolayers. Chemical precipitation, electrostatic, van der Waals interactions and covalent bonds are involved in the assembly of these compounds. Self-organized ring patterns of rare earth complexes in Langmuir monolayers and on planar surfaces with stripe patterns, as well as fluorescence enhancement due to donor-acceptor pairs, microcavities, enrichment of rare earth compounds, and shell protection against water are described. Recent information on the tuning of luminescence intensity and multicolors by the excitation wavelength and the ratio of rare earth ions, respectively, are also reviewed. Potential applications of luminescent rare earth complex assemblies serving as biological probes, temperature and gas sensors are pointed out. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Mimicking the magnetic properties of rare earth elements using superatoms.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Shi-Bo; Berkdemir, Cuneyt; Castleman, A W

    2015-04-21

    Rare earth elements (REs) consist of a very important group in the periodic table that is vital to many modern technologies. The mining process, however, is extremely damaging to the environment, making them low yield and very expensive. Therefore, mimicking the properties of REs in a superatom framework is especially valuable but at the same time, technically challenging and requiring advanced concepts about manipulating properties of atom/molecular complexes. Herein, by using photoelectron imaging spectroscopy, we provide original idea and direct experimental evidence that chosen boron-doped clusters could mimic the magnetic characteristics of REs. Specifically, the neutral LaB and NdB clusters are found to have similar unpaired electrons and magnetic moments as their isovalent REs (namely Nd and Eu, respectively), opening up the great possibility in accomplishing rare earth mimicry. Extension of the superatom concept into the rare earth group not only further shows the power and advance of this concept but also, will stimulate more efforts to explore new superatomic clusters to mimic the chemistry of these heavy atoms, which will be of great importance in designing novel building blocks in the application of cluster-assembled nanomaterials. Additionally, based on these experimental findings, a novel "magic boron" counting rule is proposed to estimate the numbers of unpaired electrons in diatomic LnB clusters.

  13. Scarcity of rare earth elements.

    PubMed

    de Boer, M A; Lammertsma, K

    2013-11-01

    Rare earth elements (REEs) are important for green and a large variety of high-tech technologies and are, therefore, in high demand. As a result, supply with REEs is likely to be disrupted (the degree of depends on the REE) in the near future. The 17 REEs are divided into heavy and light REEs. Other critical elements besides REEs, identified by the European Commission, are also becoming less easily available. Although there is no deficiency in the earth's crust of rare earth oxides, the economic accessibility is limited. The increased demand for REEs, the decreasing export from China, and geopolitical concerns on availability contributed to the (re)opening of mines in Australia and the USA and other mines are slow to follow. As a result, short supply of particularly terbium, dysprosium, praseodymium, and neodymium is expected to be problematic for at least the short term, also because they cannot be substituted. Recycling REEs from electronic waste would be a solution, but so far there are hardly any established REE recycling methods. Decreasing the dependency on REEs, for example, by identifying possible replacements or increasing their efficient use, represents another possibility. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Hydrothermal method of synthesis of rare-earth tantalates and niobates

    DOEpatents

    Nyman, May D; Rohwer, Lauren E.S.; Martin, James E

    2012-10-16

    A hydrothermal method of synthesis of a family of rare-earth Group 5 oxides, where the Group 5 oxide is a niobate or tantalate. The rare-earth Group 5 oxides can be doped with suitable emitter ions to form nanophosphors.

  15. Physical and electrochemical properties of alkaline earth doped, rare earth vanadates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adijanto, Lawrence; Balaji Padmanabhan, Venu; Holmes, Kevin J.; Gorte, Raymond J.; Vohs, John M.

    2012-06-01

    The effect of partial substitution of alkaline earth (AE) ions, Sr2+ and Ca2+, for the rare earth (RE) ions, La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, and Sm3+, on the physical properties of REVO4 compounds were investigated. The use of the Pechini method to synthesize the vanadates allowed for high levels of AE substitution to be obtained. Coulometric titration was used to measure redox isotherms for these materials and showed that the addition of the AE ions increased both reducibility and electronic conductivity under typical solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode conditions, through the formation of compounds with mixed vanadium valence. In spite of their high electronic conductivity, REVO4-yttira stabilized zirconia (YSZ) composite anodes exhibited only modest performance when used in SOFCs operating with H2 fuel at 973 K due to their low catalytic activity. High performance was obtained, however, after the addition of a small amount of catalytically active Pd to the anode.

  16. Global demand for rare earth resources and strategies for green mining

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rare earths elements (REEs) are essential raw materials for the emerging green (low-carbon) energy technologies and ‘smart’ electronic devices. Global REE demand is slated to grow at a compound annual rate of 5% by 2020. Such high growth rate would require a steady supply base of REEs in the long ru...

  17. 40 CFR 721.10423 - Complex strontium aluminate, rare earth doped (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... earth doped (generic). 721.10423 Section 721.10423 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10423 Complex strontium aluminate, rare earth doped... substances identified generically as complex strontium aluminate, rare earth doped (PMNs P-12-22, P-12-23, P...

  18. Rare earths and other trace elements in Luna 16 soil.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Helmke, P. A.; Haskin, L. A.

    1972-01-01

    An analysis has been made of four small samples of material brought to earth by the Luna 16 mission, with the aim to determine rare earths and other trace elements in these samples. The analytical results are tabulated, and the rare earth abundances are compared with the average for chondrites. A comparison is also made with the results of similar analyses of Apollo samples.

  19. METHOD OF MAKING ALLOYS OF SECOND RARE EARTH SERIES METALS

    DOEpatents

    Baker, R.D.; Hayward, B.R.

    1963-01-01

    >This invention relates to a process for alloying the second rare earth series metals with Mo, Nb, or Zr. A halide of the rare earth metal is mixed with about 1 to 20 at.% of an oxide of Mo, Nb, or Zr. Iodine and an alkali or alkaline earth metal are added, and the resulting mixture is heated in an inert atmosphere to 350 deg C. (AEC)

  20. Rare-earth Nanoparticle-induced Cytotoxicity on Spatial Cognition Memory of Mouse Brain.

    PubMed

    Lin, Cai-Hou; Liu, Gui-Fen; Chen, Jing; Chen, Yan; Lin, Ru-Hui; He, Hong-Xing; Chen, Jian-Ping

    2017-11-20

    Luminescent rare-earth-based nanoparticles have been increasingly used in nanomedicine due to their excellent physicochemical properties, such as biomedical imaging agents, drug carriers, and biomarkers. However, biological safety of the rare-earth-based nanomedicine is of great significance for future development in practical applications. In particular, biological effects of rare-earth nanoparticles on human's central nervous system are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential toxicity of rare-earth nanoparticles in nervous system function in the case of continuous exposure. Adult ICR mice were randomly divided into seven groups, including control group (receiving 0.9% normal saline) and six experimental groups (10 mice in each group). Luminescent rare-earth-based nanoparticles were synthesized by a reported co-precipitation method. Two different sizes of the nanoparticles were obtained, and then exposed to ICR mice through caudal vein injection at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg body weight in each day for 7 days. Next, a Morris water maze test was employed to evaluate impaired behaviors of their spatial recognition memory. Finally, histopathological examination was implemented to study how the nanoparticles can affect the brain tissue of the ICR mice. Two different sizes of rare-earth nanoparticles have been successfully obtained, and their physical properties including luminescence spectra and nanoparticle sizes have been characterized. In these experiments, the rare-earth nanoparticles were taken up in the mouse liver using the magnetic resonance imaging characterization. Most importantly, the experimental results of the Morris water maze tests and histopathological analysis clearly showed that rare-earth nanoparticles could induce toxicity on mouse brain and impair the behaviors of spatial recognition memory. Finally, the mechanism of adenosine triphosphate quenching by the rare-earth nanoparticles was provided to illustrate the toxicity on the

  1. Methods of Separation of Total Rare Earths in Low-Alloy Constructional Steels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1954-11-10

    75-6, 1945 . CA 40, 2086. 3, 1946. Various methods for the separation of U and the rare-earths were tested and compared. Precipitation of...the preparation of solid NagRXSzOj)*. K3R(S2OJ)J and (NP^jR (SjOs), These compounds were analyzed by decomposition with concentrated HC1...Madrid) 4, 168-77, 1950. CA 45, 5059f, 1951. A review. After HC1 hydrolysis BaCl2 is added to precipitate BaSO^ and the crystal pattern

  2. Antiferromagnetic Spin Coupling between Rare Earth Adatoms and Iron Islands Probed by Spin-Polarized Tunneling

    PubMed Central

    Coffey, David; Diez-Ferrer, José Luis; Serrate, David; Ciria, Miguel; Fuente, César de la; Arnaudas, José Ignacio

    2015-01-01

    High-density magnetic storage or quantum computing could be achieved using small magnets with large magnetic anisotropy, a requirement that rare-earth iron alloys fulfill in bulk. This compelling property demands a thorough investigation of the magnetism in low dimensional rare-earth iron structures. Here, we report on the magnetic coupling between 4f single atoms and a 3d magnetic nanoisland. Thulium and lutetium adatoms deposited on iron monolayer islands pseudomorphically grown on W(110) have been investigated at low temperature with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The spin-polarized current indicates that both kind of adatoms have in-plane magnetic moments, which couple antiferromagnetically with their underlying iron islands. Our first-principles calculations explain the observed behavior, predicting an antiparallel coupling of the induced 5d electrons magnetic moment of the lanthanides with the 3d magnetic moment of iron, as well as their in-plane orientation, and pointing to a non-contribution of 4f electrons to the spin-polarized tunneling processes in rare earths. PMID:26333417

  3. Feasibility study of SiGHT: a novel ultra low background photosensor for low temperature operation

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Y.; Fan, A.; Fiorillo, G.; ...

    2017-02-27

    Rare event search experiments, such as those searching for dark matter and observations of neutrinoless double beta decay, require ultra low levels of radioactive background for unmistakable identification. In order to reduce the radioactive background of detectors used in these types of event searches, low background photosensors are required, as the physical size of these detectors become increasing larger, and hence the number of such photosensors used also increases rapidly. Considering that most dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments are turning towards using noble liquids as the target choice, liquid xenon and liquid argon for instance, photosensors thatmore » can work well at cryogenic temperatures are required, 165 K and 87 K for liquid xenon and liquid argon, respectively. The Silicon Geiger Hybrid Tube (SiGHT) is a novel photosensor designed specifically for use in ultra low background experiments operating at cryogenic temperatures. It is based on the proven photocathode plus silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) hybrid technology and consists of very few other, but also ultra radio-pure, materials like fused silica and silicon for the SiPM. Lastly, the introduction of the SiGHT concept, as well as a feasibility study for its production, is reported in this article.« less

  4. Quantum Theory of Rare-Earth Magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyake, Takashi; Akai, Hisazumi

    2018-04-01

    Strong permanent magnets mainly consist of rare earths (R) and transition metals (T). The main phase of the neodymium magnet, which is the strongest magnet, is Nd2Fe14B. Sm2Fe17N3 is another magnet compound having excellent magnetic properties comparable to those of Nd2Fe14B. Their large saturation magnetization, strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and high Curie temperature originate from the interaction between the T-3d electrons and R-4f electrons. This article discusses the magnetism of rare-earth magnet compounds. The basic theory and first-principles calculation approaches for quantitative description of the magnetic properties are presented, together with applications to typical compounds such as Nd2Fe14B, Sm2Fe17N3, and the recently synthesized NdFe12N.

  5. Spectral analysis of rare earth elements using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Madhavi Z.; Fox, Robert V.; Miziolek, Andrzej W.; DeLucia, Frank C.; André, Nicolas

    2015-06-01

    There is growing interest in rapid analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) both due to the need to find new natural sources to satisfy increased demand in their use in various electronic devices, as well as the fact that they are used to estimate actinide masses for nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) appears to be a particularly well-suited spectroscopy-based technology to rapidly and accurately analyze the REEs in various matrices at low concentration levels (parts-per-million). Although LIBS spectra of REEs have been reported for a number of years, further work is still necessary in order to be able to quantify the concentrations of various REEs in realworld complex samples. LIBS offers advantages over conventional solution-based radiochemistry in terms of cost, analytical turnaround, waste generation, personnel dose, and contamination risk. Rare earth elements of commercial interest are found in the following three matrix groups: 1) raw ores and unrefined materials, 2) as components in refined products such as magnets, lighting phosphors, consumer electronics (which are mostly magnets and phosphors), catalysts, batteries, etc., and 3) waste/recyclable materials (aka e-waste). LIBS spectra for REEs such as Gd, Nd, and Sm found in rare earth magnets are presented.

  6. Spectral Analysis of Rare Earth Elements using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martin, Madhavi Z; Fox, Dr. Richard V; Miziolek, Andrzej W

    2015-01-01

    There is growing interest in rapid analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) both due to the need to find new natural sources to satisfy increased demand in their use in various electronic devices, as well as the fact that they are used to estimate actinide masses for nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) appears to be a particularly well-suited spectroscopy-based technology to rapidly and accurately analyze the REEs in various matrices at low concentration levels (parts-per-million). Although LIBS spectra of REEs have been reported for a number of years, further work is still necessary in order to bemore » able to quantify the concentrations of various REEs in real-world complex samples. LIBS offers advantages over conventional solution-based radiochemistry in terms of cost, analytical turnaround, waste generation, personnel dose, and contamination risk. Rare earth elements of commercial interest are found in the following three matrix groups: 1) raw ores and unrefined materials, 2) as components in refined products such as magnets, lighting phosphors, consumer electronics (which are mostly magnets and phosphors), catalysts, batteries, etc., and 3) waste/recyclable materials (aka e-waste). LIBS spectra for REEs such as Gd, Nd, and Sm found in rare earth magnets are presented.« less

  7. Spectral Analysis of Rare Earth Elements using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martin, Madhavi Z; Fox, Dr. Richard V; Miziolek, Andrzej W

    2015-01-01

    There is growing interest in rapid analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) both due to the need to find new natural sources to satisfy increased demand in their use in various electronic devices, as well as the fact that they are used to estimate actinide masses for nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) appears to be a particularly well-suited spectroscopy-based technology to rapidly and accurately analyze the REEs in various matrices at low concentration levels (parts-per-million). Although LIBS spectra of REEs have been reported for a number of years, further work is still necessary in order to bemore » able to quantify the concentrations of various REEs in realworld complex samples. LIBS offers advantages over conventional solution-based radiochemistry in terms of cost, analytical turnaround, waste generation, personnel dose, and contamination risk. Rare earth elements of commercial interest are found in the following three matrix groups: 1) raw ores and unrefined materials, 2) as components in refined products such as magnets, lighting phosphors, consumer electronics (which are mostly magnets and phosphors), catalysts, batteries, etc., and 3) waste/recyclable materials (aka e-waste). LIBS spectra for REEs such as Gd, Nd, and Sm found in rare earth magnets are presented.« less

  8. Spectral Analysis of Rare Earth Elements using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Madhavi Z. Martin; Robert V. Fox; Andrzej W. Miziolek

    2001-05-01

    There is growing interest in rapid analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) both due to the need to find new natural sources to satisfy increased demand in their use in various electronic devices, as well as the fact that they are used to estimate actinide masses for nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) appears to be a particularly well-suited spectroscopy-based technology to rapidly and accurately analyze the REEs in various matrices at low concentration levels (parts-per-million). Although LIBS spectra of REEs have been reported for a number of years, further work is still necessary in order to bemore » able to quantify the concentrations of various REEs in realworld complex samples. LIBS offers advantages over conventional solution-based radiochemistry in terms of cost, analytical turnaround, waste generation, personnel dose, and contamination risk. Rare earth elements of commercial interest are found in the following three matrix groups: 1) raw ores and unrefined materials, 2) as components in refined products such as magnets, lighting phosphors, consumer electronics (which are mostly magnets and phosphors), catalysts, batteries, etc., and 3) waste/recyclable materials (aka e-waste). LIBS spectra for REEs such as Gd, Nd, and Sm found in rare earth magnets are presented.« less

  9. Biogeochemistry of the rare-earth elements with particular reference to hickory trees

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robinson, W.O.; Bastron, H.; Murata, K.J.

    1958-01-01

    Hickory trees concentrate the rare-earth elements in their leaves to a phenomenal degree and may contain as much as 2300 p.p.m. of total rare earths based on the dry weight of the leaves. The average proportions of the individual elements (atomic percent of the total rare-earth elements) in the leaves are: Y 36, La 16, Ce 14, Pr 2, Nd 20, Sm 1, Eu 0.7, Gd 3, Tb 0.6, Dy 3, Ho 0.7, Er 2, Tm 0.2, Yb 1, and Lu 0.2. The similarity in the proportions of the rare-earth elements in the leaves and in the exchange complex of the soil on which the hickory trees grow indicates that the trees do not fractionate the rare earths appreciably. The variation of the rare-earth elements in the leaves and soils can be explained generally in terms of the relative abundance of the cerium group and the yttrium group, except for the element cerium. The large fluctuations in the proportion of cerium [Ce/(La + Nd) atomic ratios of 0.16 to 0.86] correlate with oxidation-reduction conditions in the soil profile. The substitution of dilute H2SO3 for dilute HC1 in the determination of available rare-earth elements brings about a large increase in the proportion of cerium that is extracted from an oxygenated subsoil. These relationships strongly suggest that quadrivalent cerium is present in oxygenated subsoil and is less available to plants than the other rare-earth elements that do not undergo such a change in valence. A few parts per billion of rare-earth elements have been detected in two samples of ground water. ?? 1958.

  10. 40 CFR 721.10550 - Rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10550 Rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid (generic). (a) Chemical... as rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid (PMN P-05-324) is subject to reporting under this section for...

  11. 40 CFR 721.10550 - Rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid (generic).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10550 Rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid (generic). (a) Chemical... as rare earth salt of a carboxylic acid (PMN P-05-324) is subject to reporting under this section for...

  12. Crystallographic phases in heavy rare earth metals under megabar pressures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samudrala, G. K.; Vohra, Y. K.

    2012-07-01

    Experiments aimed at understanding the crystallographic phases of heavy rare earth metals were carried out in a diamond anvil cell at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. Heavy rare earth metals dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er) and thulium (Tm) were compressed to multi-megabar pressures. The rare earth crystal sequence hcp→Sm-type→dhcp→distorted-fcc (dfcc) is observed in all four elements. Upon further compression, a structural transformation to a monoclinic C2/m phase has been observed. We summarize the results from these experiments and present Rietveld structural refinements on high pressure phases for the specific case of dysprosium.

  13. Laminated rare earth structure and method of making

    DOEpatents

    Senor, David J [West Richland, WA; Johnson, Roger N [Richland, WA; Reid, Bruce D [Pasco, WA; Larson, Sandra [Richland, WA

    2002-07-30

    A laminated structure having two or more layers, wherein at least one layer is a metal substrate and at least one other layer is a coating comprising at least one rare earth element. For structures having more than two layers, the coating and metal substrate layers alternate. In one embodiment of the invention, the structure is a two-layer laminate having a rare earth coating electrospark deposited onto a metal substrate. In another embodiment of the invention, the structure is a three-layer laminate having the rare earth coating electrospark deposited onto a first metal substrate and the coating subsequently abonded to a second metal substrate. The bonding of the coating to the second metal substrate may be accomplished by hot pressing, hot rolling, high deformation rate processing, or combinations thereof. The laminated structure may be used in nuclear components where reactivity control or neutron absorption is desired and in non-nuclear applications such as magnetic and superconducting films.

  14. Targeting heavy rare earth elements in carbonatite complexes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broom-Fendley, S.; Wall, F.; Gunn, A. G.; Dowman, E.

    2012-04-01

    The world's main sources of the rare earth elements (REE) are concentrated in carbonatite complexes. These have the advantages of high grade and tonnage, combined with low thorium contents, yet they are generally enriched in light rare earths (LREE). The heavy rare earths (HREE, which include Eu-Lu and Y) are more highly sought after because of their role in new and green technologies. HREE are predominantly extracted from ion-adsorption clays in China. These are small, low grade deposits, which are often illegally mined by artisans. Increased government control, environmental legislation and local demand for REE in China have led to high prices and global concerns about the security of supply of the HREE. Alternative sources of the HREE are poorly documented. We present a review of such targets, including: (1) 'abnormal' carbonatites; (2) areas around LREE-rich complexes such as breccia, fenite and latter stage veins; and (3) weathered carbonatites. At Lofdal, Namibia, carbonatite dykes contain xenotime-(Y) together with LREE minerals. The original chemistry of the carbonatite magma, coupled with late-stage magma and fluid evolution, seem to be controlling factors [1, 2]. The Khibina carbonatite, Kola Peninsula, Russia, is an example of where early LREE carbonatites become increasing HREE-enriched as magmas evolve to carbo-hydrothermal fluids [3]. Around carbonatite complexes in Malawi HREE enrichment can be found in breccia and in fenite. Breccia around Songwe shows areas with high Y/La ratios within the matrix caused by narrow zones of xenotime enrichment. Fenite around Kangankunde and Chilwa Island has higher HREE:LREE ratios than the carbonatite [4]. At weathered complexes, such as at Mount Weld in Western Australia, changes in both HREE concentration and LREE:HREE ratios are observed. In currently unworked sections of the deposit, the HREE mineral churchite (YPO4.H2O) has formed concentrations due to groundwater flow [5]. These areas of enrichment are

  15. Optical Properties of Nd Doped Rare Earth Vanadates (Preprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-07-01

    Rare earth orthovanadates are being used as substitute for traditional solid state laser hosts such as yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG). While the most...common of these is yttrium orthovanadate, other rare earth vanadates such as lutetium vanadate and gadolinium vanadate are being used for their... gadolinium vanadate are being used for their special properties in certain applications. We report new measurements of the refractive indices and thermo

  16. Rare-Earth Metals and Their Applications in Aviation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-08-01

    metals are not as common as iron and steel which are visible everywhere, yet they are not unfamiliar to us. We often encounter them in everyday life...the flint of a lighter. It is an alloy of rare-earth metal and iron . It contains about 30% iron and the remainder is a composite rare-earth alloy...used to manufacture the detonators of bullets and shells as well as the pyrophoric alloys of firing devices. This type of alloy has a 49.5% content of

  17. International strategic minerals inventory summary report; rare-earth oxides

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jackson, W.D.; Christiansen, Grey

    1993-01-01

    Bastnaesite, monazite, and xenotime are currently the most important rare-earth minerals. Bastnaesite occurs as a primary mineral in carbonatites. Monazite and xenotime also can be found in primary deposits but are recovered principally from heavy-mineral placers that are mined for titanium or tin. Each of these minerals has a different composition of the 15 rare-earth elements. World resources of economically exploitable rare-earth oxides (REO) are estimated at 93.4 million metric tons in place, composed of 93 percent in primary deposits and 7 percent in placers. The average mineral composition is 83 percent bastnaesite, 13 percent monazite, and 4 percent of 10 other minerals. Annual global production is about 67,000 metric tons of which 41 percent is from placers and 59 percent is from primary deposits; mining methods consist of open pits (94 percent) and dredging (6 percent). This output could be doubled if the operations that do not currently recover rare earths would do so. Resources are more than sufficient to meet the demand for the predictable future. About 52 percent of the world's REO resources are located in China. Ranking of other countries is as follows: Namibia (22 percent), the United States (15 percent), Australia (6 percent), and India (3 percent); the remainder is in several other countries. Conversely, 38 percent of the production is in China, 33 percent in the United States, 12 percent in Australia, and 5 percent each in Malaysia and India. Several other countries, including Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, make up the remainder. Markets for rare earths are mainly in the metallurgical, magnet, ceramic, electronic, chemical, and optical industries. Rare earths improve the physical and rolling properties of iron and steel and add corrosion resistance and strength to structural members at high temperatures. Samarium and neodymium are used in lightweight, powerful magnets for electric motors. Cerium and yttrium increase the

  18. Evaluation Of Ion Exchange For Fabrication Of Rare-Earth Doped Waveguides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howell, Brian P.; Beerling, Timothy

    1987-01-01

    Rare earth ions are frequently incorporated into lasers by doping common glasses with the ions in the glass melt. This paper describes the potential of using diffusion of the rare earth ion from molten salt baths to incorporate it in the glass. The paper discusses the molten salts, the rare earths as a group, the diffusion phenomena, the glasses, and finally the interaction of all these to produce the process. General predictions of the waveguide profile and potential problems are presented.

  19. A low-cost, ultra-fast and ultra-low noise preamplifier for silicon avalanche photodiodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gasmi, Khaled

    2018-02-01

    An ultra-fast and ultra-low noise preamplifier for amplifying the fast and weak electrical signals generated by silicon avalanche photodiodes has been designed and developed. It is characterized by its simplicity, compactness, reliability and low cost of construction. A very wide bandwidth of 300 MHz, a very good linearity from 1 kHz to 280 MHz, an ultra-low noise level at the input of only 1.7 nV Hz-1/2 and a very good stability are its key features. The compact size (70 mm  ×  90 mm) and light weight (45 g), as well as its excellent characteristics, make this preamplifier very competitive compared to any commercial preamplifier. The preamplifier, which is a main part of the detection system of a homemade laser remote sensing system, has been successfully tested. In addition, it is versatile and can be used in any optical detection system requiring high speed and very low noise electronics.

  20. Rare-earth doped polymer waveguides and light emitting diodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slooff, L. H.

    2000-11-01

    Polymer-based optical waveguide amplifiers offer a low-cost alternative for inorganic waveguide amplifiers. Due to the fact that their refractive index is almost similar to that of standard optical fibers, they can be easily coupled with existing fibers at low coupling losses. Doping the polymer with rare-earth ions that can yield optical gain is not straightforward, as the rare-earth salts are poorly soluble in the polymer matrix. This thesis studies two different approaches to dope a polymer waveguide with rare-earth ions. The first one is based on organic cage-like complexes that encapsulate the rare-earth ion and are designed to provide enough coordination sites to bind the rare-earth ion and to shield it from the surrounding matrix. Chapter 2 describes the optical properties of Er-doped organic polydentate cage complexes. The complexes show clear photoluminescence at 1.54 mm with a bandwidth of 70 nm, the highest reported for an erbium-doped material so far. The luminescence lifetime is very short (~1 ms) due to coupling to vibrational overtones of O-H and C-H bonds. Due to this short luminescence lifetime, high pump powers (~1 W) are needed for optical gain in a waveguide amplifier based on these complexes. The pump power can be reduced if the Er is excited via the aromatic part of the complex, which has a higher absorption cross section. In Chapter 3 a lissamine-functionalised neodymium complex is studied in which the highly absorbing lissamine acts as a sensitiser. The lissamine is first excited into the singlet state from which intersystem crossing to the triplet state can take place. From there it can transfer its energy to the Nd ion by a Dexter transfer mechanism. Room-temperature photoluminescence at 890, 1060, and 1340 nm from Nd is observed, together with luminescence from the lissamine sensitiser at 600 nm. Photodegradation of the lissamine sensitiser is observed, which is studied in more detail in Chapter 4. The observed change in time of the

  1. A reactive distillation process for the treatment of LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt containing rare earth chlorides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eun, H. C.; Choi, J. H.; Kim, N. Y.; Lee, T. K.; Han, S. Y.; Lee, K. R.; Park, H. S.; Ahn, D. H.

    2016-11-01

    The pyrochemical process, which recovers useful resources (U/TRU metals) from used nuclear fuel using an electrochemical method, generates LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt containing radioactive rare earth chlorides (RECl3). It is necessary to develop a simple process for the treatment of LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt in a hot-cell facility. For this reason, a reactive distillation process using a chemical agent was achieved as a method to separate rare earths from the LiCl-KCl waste salt. Before conducting the reactive distillation, thermodynamic equilibrium behaviors of the reactions between rare earth (Nd, La, Ce, Pr) chlorides and the chemical agent (K2CO3) were predicted using software. The addition of the chemical agent was determined to separate the rare earth chlorides into an oxide form using these equilibrium results. In the reactive distillation test, the rare earth chlorides in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt were decontaminated at a decontamination factor (DF) of more than 5000, and were mainly converted into oxide (Nd2O3, CeO2, La2O3, Pr2O3) or oxychloride (LaOCl, PrOCl) forms. The LiCl-KCl was purified into a form with a very low concentration (<1 ppm) for the rare earth chlorides.

  2. First-principles study of crystal and electronic structure of rare-earth cobaltites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Topsakal, M.; Leighton, C.; Wentzcovitch, R. M.

    Using density functional theory plus self-consistent Hubbard U (DFT + U{sub sc}) calculations, we have investigated the structural and electronic properties of the rare-earth cobaltites RCoO{sub 3} (R = Pr – Lu). Our calculations show the evolution of crystal and electronic structure of the insulating low-spin RCoO{sub 3} with increasing rare-earth atomic number (decreasing ionic radius), including the invariance of the Co-O bond distance (d{sub Co–O}), the decrease of the Co-O-Co bond angle (Θ), and the increase of the crystal field splitting (Δ{sub CF}) and band gap energy (E{sub g}). Agreement with experiment for the latter improves considerably with the use of DFT + U{sub sc}more » and all trends are in good agreement with the experimental data. These trends enable a direct test of prior rationalizations of the trend in spin-gap associated with the spin crossover in this series, which is found to expose significant issues with simple band based arguments. We also examine the effect of placing the rare-earth f-electrons in the core region of the pseudopotential. The effect on lattice parameters and band structure is found to be small, but distinct for the special case of PrCoO{sub 3} where some f-states populate the middle of the gap, consistent with the recent reports of unique behavior in Pr-containing cobaltites. Overall, this study establishes a foundation for future predictive studies of thermally induced spin excitations in rare-earth cobaltites and similar systems.« less

  3. 40 CFR 421.270 - Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... primary rare earth metals subcategory. 421.270 Section 421.270 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... CATEGORY Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory § 421.270 Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges resulting from the...

  4. 40 CFR 421.270 - Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... primary rare earth metals subcategory. 421.270 Section 421.270 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... CATEGORY Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory § 421.270 Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges resulting from the...

  5. 40 CFR 421.270 - Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... primary rare earth metals subcategory. 421.270 Section 421.270 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... CATEGORY Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory § 421.270 Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges resulting from the...

  6. 40 CFR 421.270 - Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... primary rare earth metals subcategory. 421.270 Section 421.270 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... CATEGORY Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory § 421.270 Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges resulting from the...

  7. 40 CFR 421.270 - Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... primary rare earth metals subcategory. 421.270 Section 421.270 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... CATEGORY Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory § 421.270 Applicability: Description of the primary rare earth metals subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges resulting from the...

  8. Unraveling Recrystallization Mechanisms Governing Texture Development from Rare Earth Element Additions to Magnesium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imandoust, Aidin

    The origin of texture components associated with rare-earth (RE) element additions in wrought magnesium (Mg) alloys is a long-standing problem in magnesium technology. The objective of this research is to identify the mechanisms accountable for rare-earth texture during dynamic recrystallization (DRX). Towards this end, we designed binary Mg-Cerium and Mg-Gadolinium alloys along with complex alloy compositions containing zinc, yttrium and Mischmetal. Binary alloys along with pure Mg were designed to individually investigate their effects on texture evolutions, while complex compositions are designed to develop randomized texture, and be used in automotive and aerospace applications. We selected indirect extrusion to thermo-mechanically process our materials. Different extrusion ratios and speeds were designed to produce partially and fully recrystallized microstructures, allowing us to analyze DRX from its early stages to completion. X-ray diffraction, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to conduct microstructure and texture analyses. Our analyses revealed that rare-earth elements in zinc-containing magnesium alloys promote discontinuous dynamic recrystallization at the grain boundaries. During nucleation, the effect of rare earth elements on orientation selection was explained by the concomitant actions of multiple Taylor axes in the same grain. Isotropic grain growth was observed due to rare earth elements segregating to grain boundaries, which lead to texture randomization. The nucleation in binary Mg-RE alloys took place by continuous formation of necklace structures. Stochastic relaxation of basal and non-basal dislocations into low-angle grain boundaries produced chains of embryos with nearly random orientations. Schmid factor analysis showed a lower net activation of dislocations in RE textured grains compared to ones on the other side of the stereographic triangle. Lower dislocation densities within

  9. NETL’s Rare Earth Elements Research

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    The National Energy Technology Laboratory has established a Rare Earth Elements (REE) program. REEs are a series of 17 chemical elements found in the Earth’s crust. They are an essential component to technology, health care, transportation and national defense.

  10. Reverse engineering nuclear properties from rare earth abundances in the r process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mumpower, M. R.; McLaughlin, G. C.; Surman, R.; Steiner, A. W.

    2017-03-01

    The bulk of the rare earth elements are believed to be synthesized in the rapid neutron capture process or r process of nucleosynthesis. The solar r-process residuals show a small peak in the rare earths around A∼ 160, which is proposed to be formed dynamically during the end phase of the r process by a pileup of material. This abundance feature is of particular importance as it is sensitive to both the nuclear physics inputs and the astrophysical conditions of the main r process. We explore the formation of the rare earth peak from the perspective of an inverse problem, using Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses to investigate the unknown nuclear properties required to best match rare earth abundance sector of the solar isotopic residuals. When nuclear masses are changed, we recalculate the relevant β-decay properties and neutron capture rates in the rare earth region. The feedback provided by this observational constraint allows for the reverse engineering of nuclear properties far from stability where no experimental information exists. We investigate a range of astrophysical conditions with this method and show how these lead to different predictions in the nuclear properties influential to the formation of the rare earth peak. We conclude that targeted experimental campaigns in this region will help to resolve the type of conditions responsible for the production of the rare earth nuclei, and will provide new insights into the longstanding problem of the astrophysical site(s) of the r process.

  11. Astronomers Find the First 'Wind Nebula' Around a Rare Ultra-Magnetic Neutron Star

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-06-21

    Astronomers have discovered a vast cloud of high-energy particles called a wind nebula around a rare ultra-magnetic neutron star, or magnetar, for the first time. The find offers a unique window into the properties, environment and outburst history of magnetars, which are the strongest magnets in the universe. A neutron star is the crushed core of a massive star that ran out of fuel, collapsed under its own weight, and exploded as a supernova. Each one compresses the equivalent mass of half a million Earths into a ball just 12 miles (20 kilometers) across, or about the length of New York's Manhattan Island. Neutron stars are most commonly found as pulsars, which produce radio, visible light, X-rays and gamma rays at various locations in their surrounding magnetic fields. When a pulsar spins these regions in our direction, astronomers detect pulses of emission, hence the name. Credit: ESA/XMM-Newton/Younes et al. 2016

  12. Addressing Rare-Earth Element Criticality: An Example from the Aviation Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ku, Anthony Y.; Dosch, Christopher; Grossman, Theodore R.; Herzog, Joseph L.; Maricocchi, Antonio F.; Polli, Drew; Lipkin, Don M.

    2014-11-01

    Rare-earth (RE) elements are enablers for a wide range of technologies, including high-strength permanent magnets, energy-efficient lighting, high-temperature thermal barrier coatings, and catalysts. While direct material substitution is difficult in many of these applications because of the specific electronic, optical, or electrochemical properties imparted by the individual rare-earth elements, we describe an example from the aviation industry where supply chain optimization may be an option. Ceramic matrix composite engine components require environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) to protect them from extreme temperatures and adverse reactions with water vapor in the hot gas path. EBC systems based on rare-earth silicates offer a unique combination of environmental resistance, thermal expansion matching, thermal conductivity, and thermal stability across the service temperature window. Several pure rare-earth silicates and solid solutions have been demonstrated in EBC applications. However, all rely on heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs) for phase stability. This article considers the possibility of using separation tailings containing a mixture of HREEs as a source material in lieu of using the high-purity HREE oxides. This option arises because the desired properties of RE-silicate EBCs derive from the average cation size rather than the electronic properties of the individual rare-earth cations. Because separation tailings have not incurred the costs associated with the final stages of separation, they offer an economical alternative to high-purity oxides for this emerging application.

  13. Rare earth element and rare metal inventory of central Asia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mihalasky, Mark J.; Tucker, Robert D.; Renaud, Karine; Verstraeten, Ingrid M.

    2018-03-06

    Rare earth elements (REE), with their unique physical and chemical properties, are an essential part of modern living. REE have enabled development and manufacture of high-performance materials, processes, and electronic technologies commonly used today in computing and communications, clean energy and transportation, medical treatment and health care, glass and ceramics, aerospace and defense, and metallurgy and chemical refining. Central Asia is an emerging REE and rare metals (RM) producing region. A newly compiled inventory of REE-RM-bearing mineral occurrences and delineation of areas-of-interest indicate this region may have considerable undiscovered resources.

  14. Metal sulfide and rare-earth phosphate nanostructures and methods of making same

    DOEpatents

    Wong, Stanislaus; Zhang, Fen

    2016-06-28

    The present invention provides a method of producing a crystalline rare earth phosphate nanostructure. The method comprising: providing a rare earth metal precursor solution and providing a phosphate precursor solution; placing a porous membrane between the metal precursor solution and the phosphate precursor solution, wherein metal cations of the metal precursor solution and phosphate ions of the phosphate precursor solution react, thereby producing a crystalline rare earth metal phosphate nanostructure.

  15. Synthesis and characterization of rare-earth-doped calcium tungstate nanocrystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suneeta, P.; Rajesh, Ch.; Ramana, M. V.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we report synthesis and characterization of rare-earth-ion-doped calcium tungstate (CaWO4) nanocrystals (NCs). Rare-earth ions, such as gadolinium (Gd), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), samarium (Sm) and holmium (Ho), were successfully doped in the CaWO4 NCs by changing the synthesis conditions. The adopted synthesis route was found to be fast and eco-friendly. Structural characterizations, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and compositional analysis, were performed using energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) on as-synthesized NCs. The results indicate the size of the NCs ranging between 47 to 68nm and incorporation of rare-earth ions in CaWO4 NCs.

  16. Electro-kinetic Separation of Rare Earth Elements Using a Redox-Active Ligand.

    PubMed

    Fang, Huayi; Cole, Bren E; Qiao, Yusen; Bogart, Justin A; Cheisson, Thibault; Manor, Brian C; Carroll, Patrick J; Schelter, Eric J

    2017-10-16

    Purification of rare earth elements is challenging due to their chemical similarities. All of the deployed separation methods rely on thermodynamic properties, such as distribution equilibria in solvent extraction. Rare-earth-metal separations based on kinetic differences have not been examined. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach for rare-earth-element separations by exploiting differences in the oxidation rates within a series of rare earth compounds containing the redox-active ligand [{2-(tBuN(O))C 6 H 4 CH 2 } 3 N] 3- . Using this method, a single-step separation factor up to 261 was obtained for the separation of a 50:50 yttrium-lutetium mixture. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Pressure-induced structural modifications of rare-earth hafnate pyrochlore

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turner, Katlyn M.; Rittman, Dylan R.; Heymach, Rachel A.; Tracy, Cameron L.; Turner, Madison L.; Fuentes, Antonio F.; Mao, Wendy L.; Ewing, Rodney C.

    2017-06-01

    Complex oxides with the pyrochlore (A2B2O7) and defect-fluorite ((A,B)4O7) structure-types undergo structural transformations under high-pressure. Rare-earth hafnates (A2Hf2O7) form the pyrochlore structure for A  =  La-Tb and the defect-fluorite structure for A  =  Dy-Lu. High-pressure transformations in A2Hf2O7 pyrochlore (A  =  Sm, Eu, Gd) and defect-fluorite (A  =  Dy, Y, Yb) were investigated up to ~50 GPa and characterized by in situ Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD). Raman spectra at ambient pressure revealed that all compositions, including the defect-fluorites, have some pyrochlore-type short-range order. In situ high-pressure synchrotron XRD showed that all of the rare earth hafnates investigated undergo a pressure-induced phase transition to a cotunnite-like (orthorhombic) structure that begins between 18 and 25 GPa. The phase transition to the cotunnite-like structure is not complete at 50 GPa, and upon release of pressure, the hafnates transform to defect-fluorite with an amorphous component. For all compositions, in situ Raman spectroscopy showed that disordering occurs gradually with increasing pressure. Pyrochlore-structured hafnates retain their short-range order to a higher pressure (30 GPa vs.  <10 GPa) than defect-fluorite-structured hafnates. Rare earth hafnates quenched from 50 GPa show Raman spectra consistent with weberite-type structures, as also reported for irradiated rare-earth stannates. The second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state fit gives a bulk modulus of ~250 GPa for hafnates with the pyrochlore structure, and ~400 GPa for hafnates with the defect-fluorite structure. Dy2Hf2O7 is intermediate in its response, with some pyrochlore-type ordering, based on Raman spectroscopy and the equation of state, with a bulk modulus of ~300 GPa. As predicted based on the similar ionic radius of Zr4+ and Hf4+, rare-earth hafnates show similar behavior to that

  18. Pressure-induced structural modifications of rare-earth hafnate pyrochlore.

    PubMed

    Turner, Katlyn M; Rittman, Dylan R; Heymach, Rachel A; Tracy, Cameron L; Turner, Madison L; Fuentes, Antonio F; Mao, Wendy L; Ewing, Rodney C

    2017-06-28

    Complex oxides with the pyrochlore (A 2 B 2 O 7 ) and defect-fluorite ((A,B) 4 O 7 ) structure-types undergo structural transformations under high-pressure. Rare-earth hafnates (A 2 Hf 2 O 7 ) form the pyrochlore structure for A  =  La-Tb and the defect-fluorite structure for A  =  Dy-Lu. High-pressure transformations in A 2 Hf 2 O 7 pyrochlore (A  =  Sm, Eu, Gd) and defect-fluorite (A  =  Dy, Y, Yb) were investigated up to ~50 GPa and characterized by in situ Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD). Raman spectra at ambient pressure revealed that all compositions, including the defect-fluorites, have some pyrochlore-type short-range order. In situ high-pressure synchrotron XRD showed that all of the rare earth hafnates investigated undergo a pressure-induced phase transition to a cotunnite-like (orthorhombic) structure that begins between 18 and 25 GPa. The phase transition to the cotunnite-like structure is not complete at 50 GPa, and upon release of pressure, the hafnates transform to defect-fluorite with an amorphous component. For all compositions, in situ Raman spectroscopy showed that disordering occurs gradually with increasing pressure. Pyrochlore-structured hafnates retain their short-range order to a higher pressure (30 GPa vs.  <10 GPa) than defect-fluorite-structured hafnates. Rare earth hafnates quenched from 50 GPa show Raman spectra consistent with weberite-type structures, as also reported for irradiated rare-earth stannates. The second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state fit gives a bulk modulus of ~250 GPa for hafnates with the pyrochlore structure, and ~400 GPa for hafnates with the defect-fluorite structure. Dy 2 Hf 2 O 7 is intermediate in its response, with some pyrochlore-type ordering, based on Raman spectroscopy and the equation of state, with a bulk modulus of ~300 GPa. As predicted based on the similar ionic radius of Zr 4+ and Hf 4+ , rare-earth hafnates show

  19. Process to remove rare earth from IFR electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, John P.; Johnson, Terry R.

    1994-01-01

    The invention is a process for the removal of rare earths from molten chloride electrolyte salts used in the reprocessing of integrated fast reactor fuel (IFR). The process can be used either continuously during normal operation of the electrorefiner or as a batch process. The process consists of first separating the actinide values from the salt before purification by removal of the rare earths. After replacement of the actinides removed in the first step, the now-purified salt electrolyte has the same uranium and plutonium concentration and ratio as when the salt was removed from the electrorefiner.

  20. Process to remove rare earth from IFR electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, J.P.; Johnson, T.R.

    1992-01-01

    The invention is a process for the removal of rare earths from molten chloride electrolyte salts used in the reprocessing of integrated fast reactor fuel (IFR). The process can be used either continuously during normal operation of the electrorefiner or as a batch process. The process consists of first separating the actinide values from the salt before purification by removal of the rare earths. After replacement of the actinides removed in the first step, the now-purified salt electrolyte has the same uranium and plutonium concentration and ratio as when the salt was removed from the electrorefiner.

  1. Process to remove rare earth from IFR electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, J.P.; Johnson, T.R.

    1994-08-09

    The invention is a process for the removal of rare earths from molten chloride electrolyte salts used in the reprocessing of integrated fast reactor fuel (IFR). The process can be used either continuously during normal operation of the electrorefiner or as a batch process. The process consists of first separating the actinide values from the salt before purification by removal of the rare earths. After replacement of the actinides removed in the first step, the now-purified salt electrolyte has the same uranium and plutonium concentration and ratio as when the salt was removed from the electrorefiner. 1 fig.

  2. Reverse engineering nuclear properties from rare earth abundances in the r process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mumpower, Matthew Ryan; McLaughlin, G. C.; Surman, R.

    The bulk of the rare earth elements are believed to be synthesized in the rapid neutron capture process or r process of nucleosynthesis. The solar r-process residuals show a small peak in the rare earths aroundmore » $$A\\sim 160$$, which is proposed to be formed dynamically during the end phase of the r process by a pileup of material. This abundance feature is of particular importance as it is sensitive to both the nuclear physics inputs and the astrophysical conditions of the main r process. Here, we explore the formation of the rare earth peak from the perspective of an inverse problem, using Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses to investigate the unknown nuclear properties required to best match rare earth abundance sector of the solar isotopic residuals. When nuclear masses are changed, we recalculate the relevant β-decay properties and neutron capture rates in the rare earth region. The feedback provided by this observational constraint allows for the reverse engineering of nuclear properties far from stability where no experimental information exists. We investigate a range of astrophysical conditions with this method and show how these lead to different predictions in the nuclear properties influential to the formation of the rare earth peak. Finally, we conclude that targeted experimental campaigns in this region will help to resolve the type of conditions responsible for the production of the rare earth nuclei, and will provide new insights into the longstanding problem of the astrophysical site(s) of the r process.« less

  3. Reverse engineering nuclear properties from rare earth abundances in the r process

    DOE PAGES

    Mumpower, Matthew Ryan; McLaughlin, G. C.; Surman, R.; ...

    2017-02-01

    The bulk of the rare earth elements are believed to be synthesized in the rapid neutron capture process or r process of nucleosynthesis. The solar r-process residuals show a small peak in the rare earths aroundmore » $$A\\sim 160$$, which is proposed to be formed dynamically during the end phase of the r process by a pileup of material. This abundance feature is of particular importance as it is sensitive to both the nuclear physics inputs and the astrophysical conditions of the main r process. Here, we explore the formation of the rare earth peak from the perspective of an inverse problem, using Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses to investigate the unknown nuclear properties required to best match rare earth abundance sector of the solar isotopic residuals. When nuclear masses are changed, we recalculate the relevant β-decay properties and neutron capture rates in the rare earth region. The feedback provided by this observational constraint allows for the reverse engineering of nuclear properties far from stability where no experimental information exists. We investigate a range of astrophysical conditions with this method and show how these lead to different predictions in the nuclear properties influential to the formation of the rare earth peak. Finally, we conclude that targeted experimental campaigns in this region will help to resolve the type of conditions responsible for the production of the rare earth nuclei, and will provide new insights into the longstanding problem of the astrophysical site(s) of the r process.« less

  4. Unique magnetism and structural transformation in rare earth dialumindes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pathak, Arjun; Mudryk, Yaroslav; Paudyal, Durga; Pecharsky, Vitalij

    Rare earth metallic alloys play a critical yet often obscure role in numerous technological applications, including but not limited to sensors, actuators, permanent magnets, and rechargeable batteries; therefore, understanding their fundamental properties is of utmost importance. We study structural behavior, specific heat, and magnetism of various binary and pseudobinary rare earth dialumindes by means of temperature-dependent x-ray powder diffraction, heat capacity and magnetization measurements, and first principles calculations. Here, we focus on our recent understanding of low temperature magnetism, and crystal structure of DyAl2, TbAl2, PrAl2, ErAl2, and discuss magnetic and structural instabilities in the pseudobinary PrAl2 - ErAl2 system. Unique among other mixed heavy lanthanide dialumindes, the substitution of Er in Pr1-xErxAl2 results in unusual ferrimagnetic behavior, and the ferrimagnetic interactions become strongest around x = 0.25. The Ames Laboratory is operated for the U. S. DOE by Iowa State University of Science and Technology under contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11358. This work was supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences Division.

  5. Health risk assessment of rare earth elements in cereals from mining area in Shandong, China.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Maoqiang; Wang, Liansen; Wu, Guangjian; Wang, Kebo; Jiang, Xiaofeng; Liu, Taibin; Xiao, Peirui; Yu, Lianlong; Jiang, Ying; Song, Jian; Zhang, Junli; Zhou, Jingyang; Zhao, Jinshan; Chu, Zunhua

    2017-08-29

    To investigate the concentrations of rare earth elements in cereals and assess human health risk through cereal consumption, a total of 327 cereal samples were collected from rare earth mining area and control area in Shandong, China. The contents of 14 rare earth elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The medians of total rare earth elements in cereals from mining and control areas were 74.22 μg/kg and 47.83 μg/kg, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The wheat had the highest rare earth elements concentrations (109.39 μg/kg and 77.96 μg/kg for mining and control areas, respectively) and maize had the lowest rare earth elements concentrations (42.88 μg/kg and 30.25 μg/kg for mining and control areas, respectively). The rare earth elements distribution patterns for both areas were characterized by enrichment of light rare earth elements. The health risk assessment demonstrated that the estimated daily intakes of rare earth elements through cereal consumption were considerably lower than the acceptable daily intake (70 μg/kg bw). The damage to adults can be neglected, but more attention should be paid to the effects of continuous exposure to rare earth elements on children.

  6. Positive magnetoresistance effect in rare earth cobaltites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Troyanchuk, I. O.; Bushinskii, M. V.; Karpinsky, D. V.; Dobryanskii, V. M.; Sikolenko, V. V.; Balagurov, A. M.

    2009-06-01

    The structure, magnetic, and magnetotransport properties of the Pr0.5Sr0.5Co1 - x Fe x O3 system have been studied. The ferromagnet-spin glass ( x = 0.5)- G-type antiferromagnet ( x = 0.7) transitions and the metal—insulator transitions ( x = 0.25) have been revealed. It has been established that the magnetoresistance of the metallic ferromagnetic cobaltites changes sign from positive to negative as the external magnetic field increases. The positive component increases and the negative component decreases with decreasing temperature. The negative magnetoresistance increases sharply in the insulating spinglass phase. Possible causes of the low-magnetic-field positive magnetoresistance in the rare earth metallic cobaltites are discussed.

  7. Rare earth garnet selective emitter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lowe, Roland A.; Chubb, Donald L.; Farmer, Serene C.; Good, Brian S.

    1994-01-01

    Thin film Ho-YAG and Er-YAG emitters with a platinum substrate exhibit high spectral emittance in the emission band (epsilon(sub lambda) approximately equal to 0.74, ((4)l(sub 15/2)) - ( (4)l(sub13/2)), for Er-YAG and epsilon(sub lambda) approximately equal to 0.65, ((5)l(sub 7))-((5)l(sub 8)) for Ho-YAG) at excellent candidates for high efficiency selective emitters in the thermophotovoltaics (TPV) systems operating at moderate temperatures (1200-1500K). Spectral emittance measurements of the thin films were made (1.2 less than lambda less than 3.0 microns) and compared to the theoretical emittances calculated using measured values of the spectral extinction coefficient. In this paper we present the results for a new class of rare earth ion selective emitters. These emitters are thin sections (less than 1 mm) of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) single crystal with a rare earth substitutional impurity. This paper presents normal spectral emittance, epsilon(sub lambda), measurements of holmium (Ho), and erbium (Er) doped YAG thin film selective emitters at 1500 K, and compares those results with the theoretical spectral emittance.

  8. Rare earth-doped materials with enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Venkatasubramanian, Rama; Cook, Bruce Allen; Levin, Evgenii M.

    A thermoelectric material and a thermoelectric converter using this material. The thermoelectric material has a first component including a semiconductor material and a second component including a rare earth material included in the first component to thereby increase a figure of merit of a composite of the semiconductor material and the rare earth material relative to a figure of merit of the semiconductor material. The thermoelectric converter has a p-type thermoelectric material and a n-type thermoelectric material. At least one of the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material includes a rare earth material in at least one ofmore » the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material.« less

  9. Tuning Frustration in Rare Earth Pyrochlores by Platinum Substitution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hallas, Alannah; Gaudet, Jonathan; Sharma, Arzoo; Wilson, Murray; Cai, Yipeng; Tachibana, Makoto; Wiebe, Chris; Gaulin, Bruce; Luke, Graeme

    A successful mechanism for exploring the rich physics of rare earth pyrochlores, R2B2O7, is to substitute the non-magnetic B-site. Varying the ionic radius of the B-site induces an internal chemical pressure. Some rare earths are robust to substitutions; for example, the holmium-based pyrochlores all exhibit a dipolar spin ice state. In the case of other rare earths such as ytterbium, the ground states are remarkably fragile to chemical pressure. In this talk, I will introduce two materials with a new non-magnetic B-site: platinum. The ionic radius of platinum is comparable to that of titanium, which occupies the B-site in the most well-studied family of pyrochlores. Thus, platinum does not induce a strong chemical pressure on the lattice. Nevertheless, using Gd2Pt2O7 and Er2Pt2O7 as examples, I will show that platinum does affect a dramatic change on the magnetic properties. We trace this effect to platinum's empty eg orbitals, which mediate superexchange pathways not available in other rare earth pyrochlores. In Gd2Pt2O7, this results in a striking 160% enhancement of TN as compared to other Gd-based pyrochlores. In Er2Pt2O7, the ordering temperature is strongly suppressed and the ground state is altered.

  10. High Pressure Phase Transformations in Heavy Rare Earth Metals and Connections to Actinide Crystal Structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vohra, Yogesh K.; Sangala, Bagvanth Reddy; Stemshorn, Andrew K.

    2008-07-01

    High-pressure studies have been performed on heavy rare earth metals Terbium (Tb) to 155 GPa and Holmium (Ho) to 134 GPa in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. The following crystal structure sequence was observed in both metals hcp {yields} Sm-type {yields} dhcp {yields} distorted fcc (hR-24) {yields} monoclinic (C2/m) with increasing pressure. The last transformation to a low symmetry monoclinic phase is accompanied by a volume collapse of 5 % for Tb at 51 GPa and a volume collapse of 3 % for Ho at 103 GPa. This volume collapse under high pressure is reminiscent of f-shell delocalizationmore » in light rare earth metal Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), and heavy actinide metals Americium (Am) and Curium (Cm). The orthorhombic Pnma phase that has been reported in Am and Cm after f-shell delocalization is not observed in heavy rare earth metals under high pressures. (authors)« less

  11. Magnetic Modes in Rare Earth Perovskites: A Magnetic-Field-Dependent Inelastic Light Scattering study.

    PubMed

    Saha, Surajit; Cao, Bing-Chen; Motapothula, M; Cong, Chun-Xiao; Sarkar, Tarapada; Srivastava, Amar; Sarkar, Soumya; Patra, Abhijeet; Ghosh, Siddhartha; Ariando; Coey, J M D; Yu, Ting; Venkatesan, T

    2016-11-15

    Here, we report the presence of defect-related states with magnetic degrees of freedom in crystals of LaAlO 3 and several other rare-earth based perovskite oxides using inelastic light scattering (Raman spectroscopy) at low temperatures in applied magnetic fields of up to 9 T. Some of these states are at about 140 meV above the valence band maximum while others are mid-gap states at about 2.3 eV. No magnetic impurity could be detected in LaAlO 3 by Proton-Induced X-ray Emission Spectroscopy. We, therefore, attribute the angular momentum-like states in LaAlO 3 to cationic/anionic vacancies or anti-site defects. Comparison with the other rare earth perovskites leads to the empirical rule that the magnetic-field-sensitive transitions require planes of heavy elements (e.g. lanthanum) and oxygen without any other light cations in the same plane. These magnetic degrees of freedom in rare earth perovskites with useful dielectric properties may be tunable by appropriate defect engineering for magneto-optic applications.

  12. Method of forming magnetostrictive rods from rare earth-iron alloys

    DOEpatents

    McMasters, O.D.

    1986-09-02

    Rods of magnetostrictive alloys of iron with rare earth elements are formed by flowing a body of rare earth-iron alloy in a crucible enclosed in a chamber maintained under an inert gas atmosphere, forcing such molten rare-earth-iron alloy into a hollow mold tube of refractory material positioned with its lower end portion within the molten body by means of a pressure differential between the chamber and mold tube and maintaining a portion of the molten alloy in the crucible extending to a level above the lower end of the mold tube so that solid particles of higher melting impurities present in the alloy collect at the surface of the molten body and remain within the crucible as the rod is formed in the mold tube. 5 figs.

  13. Method of forming magnetostrictive rods from rare earth-iron alloys

    DOEpatents

    McMasters, O. Dale

    1986-09-02

    Rods of magnetrostructive alloys of iron with rare earth elements are formed by flowing a body of rare earth-iron alloy in a crucible enclosed in a chamber maintained under an inert gas atmosphere, forcing such molten rare-earth-iron alloy into a hollow mold tube of refractory material positioned with its lower end portion within the molten body by means of a pressure differential between the chamber and mold tube and maintaining a portion of the molten alloy in the crucible extending to a level above the lower end of the mold tube so that solid particles of higher melting impurities present in the alloy collect at the surface of the molten body and remain within the crucible as the rod is formed in the mold tube.

  14. Thermal Expansion and Thermal Conductivity of Rare Earth Silicates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhu, Dongming; Lee, Kang N.; Bansal, Narottam P.

    2006-01-01

    Rare earth silicates are considered promising candidate materials for environmental barrier coatings applications at elevated temperature for ceramic matrix composites. High temperature thermophysical properties are of great importance for coating system design and development. In this study, the thermal expansion and thermal conductivity of hot-pressed rare earth silicate materials were characterized at temperatures up to 1400 C. The effects of specimen porosity, composition and microstructure on the properties were also investigated. The materials processing and testing issues affecting the measurements will also be discussed.

  15. [Physiological effects of rare earth elements and their application in traditional Chinese medicine].

    PubMed

    Zhou, Jie; Guo, Lanping; Xiao, Wenjuan; Geng, Yanling; Wang, Xiao; Shi, Xin'gang; Dan, Staerk

    2012-08-01

    The process in the studies on physiological effects of rare earth elements in plants and their action mechanisms were summarized in the aspects of seed germination, photosynthesis, mineral metabolism and stress resistance. And the applications of rare earth elements in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in recent years were also overviewed, which will provide reference for further development and application of rare earth elements in TCM.

  16. Multi-objective optimization of chromatographic rare earth element separation.

    PubMed

    Knutson, Hans-Kristian; Holmqvist, Anders; Nilsson, Bernt

    2015-10-16

    The importance of rare earth elements in modern technological industry grows, and as a result the interest for developing separation processes increases. This work is a part of developing chromatography as a rare earth element processing method. Process optimization is an important step in process development, and there are several competing objectives that need to be considered in a chromatographic separation process. Most studies are limited to evaluating the two competing objectives productivity and yield, and studies of scenarios with tri-objective optimizations are scarce. Tri-objective optimizations are much needed when evaluating the chromatographic separation of rare earth elements due to the importance of product pool concentration along with productivity and yield as process objectives. In this work, a multi-objective optimization strategy considering productivity, yield and pool concentration is proposed. This was carried out in the frame of a model based optimization study on a batch chromatography separation of the rare earth elements samarium, europium and gadolinium. The findings from the multi-objective optimization were used to provide with a general strategy for achieving desirable operation points, resulting in a productivity ranging between 0.61 and 0.75 kgEu/mcolumn(3), h(-1) and a pool concentration between 0.52 and 0.79 kgEu/m(3), while maintaining a purity above 99% and never falling below an 80% yield for the main target component europium. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Magnetic Nanofluid Rare Earth Element Extraction Process Report, Techno Economic Analysis, and Results for Geothermal Fluids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pete McGrail

    This GDR submission is an interim technical report and raw data files from the first year of testing on functionalized nanoparticles for rare earth element extraction from geothermal fluids. The report contains Rare Earth Element uptake results (percent removal, mg Rare Earth Element/gram of sorbent, distribution coefficient) for the elements of Neodymium, Europium, Yttrium, Dysprosium, and Cesium. A detailed techno economic analysis is also presented in the report for a scaled up geothermal rare earth element extraction process. All rare earth element uptake testing was done on simulated geothermal brines with one rare earth element in each brine. The raremore » earth element uptake testing was conducted at room temperature.« less

  18. Astronomers Find the First 'Wind Nebula' Around a Rare Ultra-Magnetic Neutron Star

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Astronomers have discovered a vast cloud of high-energy particles called a wind nebula around a rare ultra-magnetic neutron star, or magnetar, for the first time. The find offers a unique window into the properties, environment and outburst history of magnetars, which are the strongest magnets in the universe. A neutron star is the crushed core of a massive star that ran out of fuel, collapsed under its own weight, and exploded as a supernova. Each one compresses the equivalent mass of half a million Earths into a ball just 12 miles (20 kilometers) across, or about the length of New York's Manhattan Island. Neutron stars are most commonly found as pulsars, which produce radio, visible light, X-rays and gamma rays at various locations in their surrounding magnetic fields. When a pulsar spins these regions in our direction, astronomers detect pulses of emission, hence the name. Read more: go.nasa.gov/28PVUop Credit: ESA/XMM-Newton/Younes et al. 2016 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  19. Complete phase diagram of rare-earth nickelates from first-principles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varignon, Julien; Grisolia, Mathieu N.; Íñiguez, Jorge; Barthélémy, Agnès; Bibes, Manuel

    2017-12-01

    The structural, electronic and magnetic properties of AMO3 perovskite oxides, where M is a 3d transition metal, are highly sensitive to the geometry of the bonds between the metal-d and oxygen-p ions (through octahedra rotations and distortions) and to their level of covalence. This is particularly true in rare-earth nickelates RNiO3 that display a metal-insulator transition with complex spin orders tunable by the rare-earth size, and are on the border line between dominantly ionic (lighter elements) and covalent characters (heavier elements). Accordingly, computing their ground state is challenging and a complete theoretical description of their rich phase diagram is still missing. Here, using first-principles simulations, we successfully describe the electronic and magnetic experimental ground state of nickelates. We show that the insulating phase is characterized by a split of the electronic states of the two Ni sites (i.e., resembling low-spin 4+ and high-spin 2+) with a concomitant shift of the oxygen-2p orbitals toward the depleted Ni cations. Therefore, from the point of view of the charge, the two Ni sites appear nearly identical whereas they are in fact distinct. Performing such calculations for several nickelates, we built a theoretical phase diagram that reproduces all their key features, namely a systematic dependence of the metal-insulator transition with the rare-earth size and the crossover between a second to first order transition for R = Pr and Nd. Finally, our results hint at strategies to control the electronic and magnetic phases of perovskite oxides by fine tuning of the level of covalence.

  20. Potential synergy: the thorium fuel cycle and rare earths processing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ault, T.; Wymer, R.; Croff, A.

    2013-07-01

    The use of thorium in nuclear power programs has been evaluated on a recurring basis. A concern often raised is the lack of 'thorium infrastructure'; however, for at least a part of a potential thorium fuel cycle, this may less of a problem than previously thought. Thorium is frequently encountered in association with rare earth elements and, since the U.S. last systematically evaluated the large-scale use of thorium (the 1970's,) the use of rare earth elements has increased ten-fold to approximately 200,000 metric tons per year. Integration of thorium extraction with rare earth processing has been previously described and top-levelmore » estimates have been done on thorium resource availability; however, since ores and mining operations differ markedly, what is needed is process flowsheet analysis to determine whether a specific mining operation can feasibly produce thorium as a by-product. Also, the collocation of thorium with rare earths means that, even if a thorium product stream is not developed, its presence in mining waste streams needs to be addressed and there are previous instances where this has caused issues. This study analyzes several operational mines, estimates the mines' ability to produce a thorium by-product stream, and discusses some waste management implications of recovering thorium. (authors)« less

  1. Refining and Mutual Separation of Rare Earths Using Biomass Wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inoue, Katsutoshi; Alam, Shafiq

    2013-10-01

    Two different types of adsorption gels were prepared from biomass wastes. The first gel was produced from astringent persimmon peel rich in persimmon tannin, a polyphenol compound, which was prepared by means of simple dehydration condensation reaction using concentrated sulfuric acid for crosslinking. This adsorption gel was intended to be employed for the removal of radioactive elements, uranium (U(VI)) and thorium (Th(IV)), from rare earths. The second gel was prepared from chitosan, a basic polysaccharide, produced from shells of crustaceans such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, and other biomass wastes generated in marine product industry, by immobilizing functional groups of complexanes such as ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid and diethylentriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This gel was developed for the mutual separation of rare earths. Of the two adsorption gels evaluated, the DTPA immobilized chitosan exhibited the most effective mutual separation among light rare earths.

  2. Rare Earth Elements in Alberta Oil Sand Process Streams

    DOE PAGES

    Roth, Elliot; Bank, Tracy; Howard, Bret; ...

    2017-04-05

    The concentrations of rare earth elements in Alberta, Canada oil sands and six oil sand waste streams were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The results indicate that the rare earth elements (REEs) are largely concentrated in the tailings solvent recovery unit (TSRU) sample compared to the oil sand itself. The concentration of lanthanide elements is ~1100 mg/kg (1100 ppm or 0.11 weight %), which represents a >20× increase in the concentration compared to the oil sand itself and a >7× increase compared to the North American Shale Composite (NASC). The process water, which is used to extractmore » the oil from oil sands, and the water fraction associated with the different waste streams had very low concentrations of REEs that were near or below the detection limits of the instrument, with the highest total concentration of REEs in the water fraction being less than 10 μg/L (ppb). Size and density separations were completed, and the REEs and other potentially interesting and valuable metals, such as Ti and Zr, were concentrated in different fractions. These results give insights into the possibility of recovering REEs from waste streams generated from oil sand processing.« less

  3. Rare Earth Elements in Alberta Oil Sand Process Streams

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roth, Elliot; Bank, Tracy; Howard, Bret

    The concentrations of rare earth elements in Alberta, Canada oil sands and six oil sand waste streams were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The results indicate that the rare earth elements (REEs) are largely concentrated in the tailings solvent recovery unit (TSRU) sample compared to the oil sand itself. The concentration of lanthanide elements is ~1100 mg/kg (1100 ppm or 0.11 weight %), which represents a >20× increase in the concentration compared to the oil sand itself and a >7× increase compared to the North American Shale Composite (NASC). The process water, which is used to extractmore » the oil from oil sands, and the water fraction associated with the different waste streams had very low concentrations of REEs that were near or below the detection limits of the instrument, with the highest total concentration of REEs in the water fraction being less than 10 μg/L (ppb). Size and density separations were completed, and the REEs and other potentially interesting and valuable metals, such as Ti and Zr, were concentrated in different fractions. These results give insights into the possibility of recovering REEs from waste streams generated from oil sand processing.« less

  4. China’s Ace in the Hole Rare Earth Elements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    before losing magnetism. 11 Europium sesquioxide (Eu203) has been tested as neutron absorbers for control rods in (fast breeder ) nuclear reactors ...sources of rare earth around the world, it could take anywhere from 10 to 15 years from the time of discovery to begin a full- scale rare earth...television/computer screens, it is being studied for possible use in nuclear reactors .11 Erbium is used as an amplifier for fiber optic data

  5. Analysis of low levels of rare earths by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wandless, G.A.; Morgan, J.W.

    1985-01-01

    A procedure for the radiochemical neutron-activation analysis for the rare earth elements (REE) involves the separation of the REE as a group by rapid ion-exchange methods and determination of yields by reactivation or by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) standard rocks, BCR-1 and AGV-1, were analyzed to determine the precision and accuracy of the method. We found that the precision was ??5-10% on the basis of replicate analysis and that, in general the accuracy was within ??5% of accepted values for most REE. Data for USGS standard rocks BIR-1 (Icelandic basalt) and DNC-1 (North Carolina diabase) are also presented. ?? 1985 Akade??miai Kiado??.

  6. Rare Earth Element Recovery from Low-Grade Feedstocks Using Engineered E. coli

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brewer, A. W.; Park, D.; Jiao, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical materials for emerging science and technology industries, especially in the field of clean energy. However, their supply is potentially at risk due to political and economic concerns. The exploitation of new, low-grade REE sources in the United States, such as geothermal brines and mine tailings, may help to mitigate that supply risk. To purify and concentrate REEs from these sources, we have developed a biosorption approach using engineered E. coli cells that express a lanthanide binding tag on the cell surface. This tag has a high selectivity for REEs that enhances the native cell wall adsorption properties; the terbium adsorption capacity was increased approximately 2-fold, and the REE surface affinity was increased compared to all non-REE metals except copper. This biosorption method offers advantages over conventional REE extraction methods as it is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and effective with low-grade feedstocks. In order to expand this method to an industrial scale, the cells must be contained in a durable material that permits the cell surfaces to function in a variety of bioreactor systems and to be reused through multiple adsorption and desorption cycles. Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) beads, with diameters from 200-400 um, can be impregnated with high concentrations of cells, and show promise in the selective adsorption of REEs from solution. In the future, the application of the adsorptive qualities of these engineered cells may be expanded to include other valuable metals, such as indium and gallium, to further develop the economic potential of this approach. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-736022.

  7. Uncovering the end uses of the rare earth elements.

    PubMed

    Du, Xiaoyue; Graedel, T E

    2013-09-01

    The rare earth elements (REE) are a group of fifteen elements with unique properties that make them indispensable for a wide variety of emerging and conventional established technologies. However, quantitative knowledge of REE remains sparse, despite the current heightened interest in future availability of the resources. Mining is heavily concentrated in China, whose monopoly position and potential restriction of exports render primary supply vulnerable to short term disruption. We have drawn upon the published literature and unpublished materials in different languages to derive the first quantitative annual domestic production by end use of individual rare earth elements from 1995 to 2007. The information is illustrated in Sankey diagrams for the years 1995 and 2007. Other years are available in the supporting information. Comparing 1995 and 2007, the production of the rare earth elements in China, Japan, and the US changed dramatically in quantities and structure. The information can provide a solid foundation for industries, academic institutions and governments to make decisions and develop strategies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry at Low and Ultra low Fields.

    PubMed

    Volegov, P; Flynn, M; Kraus, R; Magnelind, P; Matlashov, A; Nath, P; Owens, T; Sandin, H; Savukov, I; Schultz, L; Urbaitis, A; Zotev, V; Espy, M

    2010-01-01

    Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are ubiquitous tools in science and medicine. NMR provides powerful probes of local and macromolecular chemical structure and dynamics. Recently it has become possible and practical to perform MR at very low fields (from 1 μT to 1 mT), the so-called ultra-low field (ULF) regime. Pulsed pre-polarizing fields greatly enhance the signal strength and allow flexibility in signal acquisition sequences. Improvements in SQUID sensor technology allow ultra-sensitive detection in a pulsed field environment.In this regime the proton Larmor frequencies (1 Hz - 100 kHz) of ULF MR overlap (on a time scale of 10 μs to 100 ms) with "slow" molecular dynamic processes such as diffusion, intra-molecular motion, chemical reactions, and biological processes such as protein folding, catalysis and ligand binding. The frequency dependence of relaxation at ultra-low fields may provide a probe for biomolecular dynamics on the millisecond timescale (protein folding and aggregation, conformational motions of enzymes, binding and structural fluctuations of coupled domains in allosteric mechanisms) relevant to host-pathogen interactions, biofuels, and biomediation. Also this resonance-enhanced coupling at ULF can greatly enhance contrast in medical applications of ULF-MRI resulting in better diagnostic techniques.We have developed a number of instruments and techniques to study relaxation vs. frequency at the ULF regime. Details of the techniques and results are presented.Ultra-low field methods are already being applied at LANL in brain imaging, and detection of liquid explosives at airports. However, the potential power of ultra-low field MR remains to be fully exploited.

  9. Superconductivity achieved at over liquid nitrogen temperature by (mixed rare earths)-Ba-Cu oxides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kishio, Kohji; Kuwahara, Kazuyuki; Kitazawa, Koichi; Fueki, Kazuo; Nakamura, Osamu

    1987-05-01

    Superconducting oxides were fabricated by reaction of powders of BaCO3, CuO and mixed rare earth (RE) carbonates at compositions expressed as (RE)1Ba2Cu3O(9-y). Two types of incompletely separated raw materials of mixed rare earths, namely, heavy rare earths (HRE) and medium rare earths (MRE), were examined. The zero-resistivity critical temperatures were observed at 92.5 K for the (HRE)-Ba-Cu-O and 85.0 K for the (MRE)-Ba-Cu-O systems, respectively, both of which were well above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen.

  10. Rare Earth Fluorescent Nanomaterials for Enhanced Development of Latent Fingerprints.

    PubMed

    Wang, Meng; Li, Ming; Yu, Aoyang; Wu, Jian; Mao, Chuanbin

    2015-12-30

    The most commonly found fingerprints at crime scenes are latent and, thus, an efficient method for detecting latent fingerprints is very important. However, traditional developing techniques have drawbacks such as low developing sensitivity, high background interference, complicated operation, and high toxicity. To tackle this challenge, we have synthesized two kinds of rare earth fluorescent nanomaterials, including the fluoresce red-emitting YVO4:Eu nanocrystals and green-emitting LaPO4:Ce,Tb nanobelts, and then used them as fluorescent labels for the development of latent fingerprints with high sensitivity, high contrast, high selectivity, high efficiency, and low background interference, on various substrates including noninfiltrating materials, semi-infiltrating materials, and infiltrating materials.

  11. A general route to hollow mesoporous rare-earth silicate nanospheres as a catalyst support.

    PubMed

    Jin, Renxi; Yang, Yang; Zou, Yongcun; Liu, Xianchun; Xing, Yan

    2014-02-17

    Hollow mesoporous structures have recently aroused intense research interest owing to their unique structural features. Herein, an effective and precisely controlled synthesis of hollow rare-earth silicate spheres with mesoporous shells is reported for the first time, produced by a simple hydrothermal method, using silica spheres as the silica precursors. The as-prepared hollow rare-earth silicate spheres have large specific surface area, high pore volume, and controllable structure parameters. The results demonstrate that the selection of the chelating reagent plays critical roles in forming the hollow mesoporous structures. In addition, a simple and low-energy-consuming approach to synthesize highly stable and dispersive gold nanoparticle-yttrium silicate (AuNPs/YSiO) hollow nanocomposites has also been developed. The reduction of 4-nitrophenol with AuNPs/YSiO hollow nanocomposites as the catalyst has clearly demonstrated that the hollow rare-earth silicate spheres are good carriers for Au nanoparticles. This strategy can be extended as a general approach to prepare multifunctional yolk-shell structures with diverse compositions and morphologies simply by replacing silica spheres with silica-coated nanocomposites. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Strain-induced modification of magnetic structure and new magnetic phases in rare-earth epitaxial films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dufour, C.; Dumesnil, K.; Mangin, Ph

    2006-07-01

    Rare earths exhibit complex magnetic phase diagrams resulting from the competition between various contributions to the magnetic energy: exchange, anisotropy and magnetostriction. The epitaxy of a rare-earth film on a substrate induces (i) a clamping to the substrate and (ii) pseudomorphic strains. Both these effects are shown to lead to modifications of the magnetic properties in (0 0 1)Dy, (0 0 1)Tb and (1 1 0)Eu films. In Dy and Tb films, spectacular variations of the Curie temperature have been evidenced. Additionally, Tb films exhibit a new large wavelength magnetic modulation. In Eu films, one of the helical magnetic domains disappears at low temperature whereas the propagation vectors of the other helices are tilted. The link between structural and magnetic properties is underlined via magnetoelastic models. Moreover, molecular beam epitaxy permits the growth of Sm in a metastable dhcp phase. The magnetic structure of dhcp Sm has been elucidated for the first time. In this review, neutron scattering is shown to be a powerful technique to reveal the magnetic structures of rare-earth films.

  13. Thermoluminescent properties of rare earth doped lithium strontium borate phosphors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jakathamani, S.; Annalakshmi, O.; Jose, M. T.

    2018-04-01

    Thermoluminescence (TL) of borates is remarkable in the field of radiation dosimetry because they can detect both neutron and gamma radiations. Usually, the TL efficiency of pure borates is low and hence dopants have to be added to increase their TL output. Their sensitivity and thermal stability vary widely and depend strongly on the preparation method. In this study polycrystalline powders of different rare earth doped thermoluminescent phosphors of Lithium Strontium borate (LSB) were synthesized by solid state sintering technique. Among the different rare earth dopants, the phosphor doped with cerium was found to have a simple glow curve structure with a dosimetric peak at around 265°C for a heating rate of 5°C/s. In order to study the effect of dopant on the TL characteristics, LSB phosphor with different concentrations of Ce dopant was synthesized and the TL intensity was found to be maximum for a dopant concentration of 0.7 mol%. All other important dosimetric characteristics like dose response and fading were carried out for the LSB:Ce (0.7 mol%) phosphor. Kinetic parameters like trap depth and frequency factor were determined using Peak shape method from Chen's equation.

  14. Ultranarrow Optical Inhomogeneous Linewidth in a Stoichiometric Rare-Earth Crystal.

    PubMed

    Ahlefeldt, R L; Hush, M R; Sellars, M J

    2016-12-16

    We obtain a low optical inhomogeneous linewidth of 25 MHz in the stoichiometric rare-earth crystal EuCl_{3}·6H_{2}O by isotopically purifying the crystal in ^{35}Cl. With this linewidth, an important limit for stoichiometric rare-earth crystals is surpassed: the hyperfine structure of ^{153}Eu is spectrally resolved, allowing the whole population of ^{153}Eu^{3+} ions to be prepared in the same hyperfine state using hole-burning techniques. This material also has a very high optical density, and can have long coherence times when deuterated. This combination of properties offers new prospects for quantum information applications. We consider two of these: quantum memories and quantum many-body studies. We detail the improvements in the performance of current memory protocols possible in these high optical depth crystals, and describe how certain memory protocols, such as off-resonant Raman memories, can be implemented for the first time in a solid-state system. We explain how the strong excitation-induced interactions observed in this material resemble those seen in Rydberg systems, and describe how these interactions can lead to quantum many-body states that could be observed using standard optical spectroscopy techniques.

  15. A Physicochemical Method for Separating Rare Earths: Addressing an Impending Shortfall

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schelter, Eric

    2017-03-14

    There are currently zero operating suppliers of critical rare earth elements La–Lu, Sc, Y (REs), in the western hemisphere. REs are critical materials due to their importance in clean energy and defense applications, including permanent magnets in wind turbines and phosphors in energy efficient lighting. It is not economically viable to produce pure REs in the U.S. given current separations technology. REs production is dominated by suppliers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) because of their capacity in liquid­liquid solvent extraction (SX) used to purify mixtures. Weak environmental regulations in the PRC also contribute to a competitive advantage. SXmore » is a cost, time, solvent and waste intensive process but is highly optimized and scalable. The low efficiency of SX derives from the small thermodynamic differences in solvation enthalpy between the RE3+ cations. To foster stable domestic RE production there is a critical need for fundamentally new REs chemistry that contributes to disruptive technologies in RE separations. The overall goal of this project was to develop new thermodynamic bases, and apply them, for the solution separation of rare earth metals. We have developed the chemistry of rare earth metals: La–Lu, Sc and Y, with redox active ligands. Our hypothesis for the project was that electron­hole coupling in complexes of certain lanthanide metals with redox active ligands can be used to manifest chemical distinctiveness and affect separations. We also developed separations based on unique solution equilibria from tailored ligands.« less

  16. Novel online security system based on rare-earth-doped glass microbeads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Officer, Simon; Prabhu, G. R.; Pollard, Pat; Hunter, Catherine; Ross, Gary A.

    2004-06-01

    A novel fluorescent security label has been produced that could replace numerous conventional fluorescent dyes in document security. This label utilizes rare earth ions doped in a borosilicate glass matrix to produce sharp spectral fluorescence peaks with characteristic long lifetimes due to the rare earth ions. These are subsequently detected by an online detection system based on fluorescence and the long lifetimes to avoid any interference from other fluorophores present in the background. Security is further enhanced by the interaction of the rare earth ions with each other and the effect of the host on the emission spectra and therefore the number of permutations that could be produced. This creates a very secure label with various applications for the security market.

  17. Nano rare-earth oxides induced size-dependent vacuolization: an independent pathway from autophagy.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying; Yu, Chenguang; Huang, Guanyi; Wang, Changli; Wen, Longping

    2010-09-07

    Four rare earth oxides have been shown to induce autophagy. Interestingly, we often noticed plentiful vacuolization, which was not always involved in this autophagic process. In this study, we investigated three other rare-earth elements, including Yttrium (Y), Ytterbium (Yb), and Lanthanum (La). Autophagic effect could be induced by all of them but only Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) could cause massive vacuolization. Y(2)O(3) and Yb(2)O(3) treated by sonication or centrifugation to reduce particle size were used to test vacuolization level in HeLa cell lines. The results showed that rare earth oxides-induced vacuolization is size-dependent and differs from autophagic pathway. To further clarify the characteristics of this autophagic process, we used MEF Atg-5 (autophagy associated gene 5) knockout cell line, and the result showed that the autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides is Atg-5-dependent and the observed vacuolization was independent from autophagy. Similar results could also be observed in our tests on 3-methyladenine(3-MA), a well-known autophagy inhibitor. In conclusion, for the first time, we clarified the relationship between massive vacuolization and autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides and pointed out the size effect of rare earth oxides on the formation of vacuoles, which give clues to further investigation on the mechanisms underlying their biological effects.

  18. Nano rare-earth oxides induced size-dependent vacuolization: an independent pathway from autophagy

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Ying; Yu, Chenguang; Huang, Guanyi; Wang, Changli; Wen, Longping

    2010-01-01

    Four rare earth oxides have been shown to induce autophagy. Interestingly, we often noticed plentiful vacuolization, which was not always involved in this autophagic process. In this study, we investigated three other rare-earth elements, including Yttrium (Y), Ytterbium (Yb), and Lanthanum (La). Autophagic effect could be induced by all of them but only Y2O3 and Yb2O3 could cause massive vacuolization. Y2O3 and Yb2O3 treated by sonication or centrifugation to reduce particle size were used to test vacuolization level in HeLa cell lines. The results showed that rare earth oxides-induced vacuolization is size-dependent and differs from autophagic pathway. To further clarify the characteristics of this autophagic process, we used MEF Atg-5 (autophagy associated gene 5) knockout cell line, and the result showed that the autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides is Atg-5-dependent and the observed vacuolization was independent from autophagy. Similar results could also be observed in our tests on 3-methyladenine(3-MA), a well-known autophagy inhibitor. In conclusion, for the first time, we clarified the relationship between massive vacuolization and autophagic process induced by rare earth oxides and pointed out the size effect of rare earth oxides on the formation of vacuoles, which give clues to further investigation on the mechanisms underlying their biological effects. PMID:20856835

  19. Two main and a new type rare earth elements in Mg alloys: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Linghang

    2017-09-01

    Magnesium (Mg) alloys stand for the lightest structure engineering materials. Moreover, the strengthening of Mg alloys in ductility, toughness and corrosion predominates their wide applications. With adding rare earth elements in Mg, the mechanical properties will be improved remarkably, especially their plasticity and strength. A brief overview of the addition of rare earth elements for Mg alloys is shown. The basic mechanisms of strengthening Mg alloys with rare earth elements are reviewed, including the solid solution strengthening, grain refinement and long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase. Furthermore, the available rare earth elements are summarized by type, chemical or physical effects and other unique properties. Finally, some challenge problems that the research is facing and future expectations of ra-re-earth Mg alloys are stated and discussed.

  20. Catalytic Graphitization of Coal-Based Carbon Materials with Light Rare Earth Elements.

    PubMed

    Wang, Rongyan; Lu, Guimin; Qiao, Wenming; Yu, Jianguo

    2016-08-30

    The catalytic graphitization mechanism of coal-based carbon materials with light rare earth elements was investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The interface between light rare earth elements and carbon materials was carefully observed, and two routes of rare earth elements catalyzing the carbon materials were found: dissolution-precipitation and carbide formation-decomposition. These two simultaneous processes certainly accelerate the catalytic graphitization of carbon materials, and light rare earth elements exert significant influence on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of graphite. Moreover, by virtue of praseodymium (Pr), it was found that a highly crystallographic orientation of graphite was induced and formed, which was reasonably attributed to the similar arrangements of the planes perpendicular to (001) in both graphite and Pr crystals. The interface between Pr and carbon was found to be an important factor for the orientation of graphite structure.

  1. Rare earth elements geochemistry in springs from Taftan geothermal area SE Iran

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakeri, Ata; Ghoreyshinia, Sayedkazem; Mehrabi, Behzad; Delavari, Morteza

    2015-10-01

    Concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) were determined in springs and andesitic-dacitic rocks of Taftan geothermal field. Hydrochemical results of major ions indicate that thermal springs are Na-SO4-Cl and Ca-SO4-Cl types. Concentrations of REEs are in ranges of 10- 4 to 1.2 and 49 to 62 times of chondrite for springwater and rock samples, respectively. The thermal (STS and TTS) and the cold (APS) springs with low pH values exhibit a very high REE contents (0.64 to 3.15 mg/l). Saturation index indicates that Fe and Al phases can control dissolved REE concentration in FTS and PF cold springs. The speciation of REE complexes indicates dominant presence of LnSO4+ and free ion in the Taftan thermal springs. In APS cold spring with pH 4, fluoride complexes are dominate over the free ion and sulfate species, while in PF and FTS cold springs with pH 6.4 and 7, respectively, carbonate complexes (LnCO3+) are predominant species. Chondrite-normalized pattern for the low-pH waters show very distinctive gull-wing patterns, characteristic feature of acid-sulfate geothermal systems, and are similar to those of the host rocks. Chemical characteristics of rare earth elements in spring and volcanic rock samples indicate that REEs are originated from the andesitic-dacitic host rocks. Whole-rock-normalized REE patterns and petrographic evidences show that rare earth elements leached mainly from marginal alteration of minerals and matrix decomposition in volcanic rocks. In chondrite-normalized REE patterns, significant negative Eu anomaly in the cold springs compare to the thermal and acidic springs indicates that alteration of plagioclase is more intense in the later, corresponding to increasing in temperature and acidic state of reactant water.

  2. Investigation of recovery and recycling of rare earth elements from waste fluorescent lamp phosphors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eduafo, Patrick Max

    Characterization techniques and experimental measurements were used to evaluate a process for recycling rare earth elements (REEs) from spent fluorescent lamp phosphors. QEMSCAN analysis revealed that over 60% of the rare earth bearing minerals was less than 10 microm. A representative sample of the as-received feed contained 14.59 wt% total rare earth elements (TREE) and upon sieving to below 75 microm, the grade increased to 19.60 wt% REE with 98.75% recovery. Based on experimental work, a new process for extracting the chief REEs from end of life fluorescent lamps has been developed. The proposed flowsheet employs a three-stage leaching and precipitation process for selective extraction and recovery of the REEs. Hydrochloric acid was used as lixiviant in batch leach experiments on the phosphor powder. The maximum extraction obtained was 100% for both yttrium and europium under the following leaching conditions: 2.5 M HCl, 70°C, 1 hour, 180 g/L and 600 rpm. However, the solubility of cerium, lanthanum and terbium remained low at these conditions. Kinetic data of the leaching of yttrium and europium showed best fit to the logarithmic rate expression of the empirical model of leaching. Activation energy was calculated to be 77.49 kJ/mol for Y and 72.75 kJ/mol for Eu in the temperature range of 298 to 343 K. Precipitation tests demonstrate that at least 50% excess the stoichiometric amount of oxalic acid is needed to recover yttrium and europium efficiently to produce a pure (Y, Eu) mixed oxide. Total recovery of the REEs was achieved even at very low pH or without any base added. Over 99% pure mixed rare earth oxide at 99% recovery has been attained. An economic assessment of the developed process using operating and capital cost have be undertaken and based on the analysis of the three economic scenarios, two are economic and one is non-economic.

  3. Method for determination of small amounts of rare earths and thorium in phosphate rocks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Waring, C.L.; Mela, H.

    1953-01-01

    In laboratory investigations, interest developed in the possible rare-earth content of phosphate samples from Florida and the northwestern United States. Because of the difficulty of making chemical determinations of traces of individual rare earths, a combined chemical-spectrographic method was investigated. After removal of iron by the extraction of the chloride with ether, the rare earths and thorium are concentrated by double oxalate precipitation, using calcium as a carrier. The rare earths are freed from calcium by an ammonium hydroxide precipitation with a fixed amount of aluminum as a carrier. The aluminum also serves as an internal standard in the final spectrographic analysis. The method will determine from 0.02 to 2 mg. of each rare earth with an error no greater than 10%. The investigation has resulted in a fairly rapid and precise procedure, involving no special spectrographic setup. The method could be applied to other types of geologic materials with the same expected accuracy.

  4. Magneto-Optical Experiments on Rare Earth Garnet Films.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tanner, B. K.

    1980-01-01

    Describes experiments in which inexpensive or standard laboratory equipment is used to measure several macroscopic magnetic properties of thin rare earth garnet films used in the manufacture of magnetic bubble devices. (Author/CS)

  5. Ultra-low-frequency wave-driven diffusion of radiation belt relativistic electrons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Su, Zhenpeng; Zhu, Hui; Xiao, Fuliang

    The Van Allen radiation belts are typically two zones of energetic particles encircling the Earth separated by the slot region. How the outer radiation belt electrons are accelerated to relativistic energies remains an unanswered question. Recent studies have presented compelling evidence for the local acceleration by very-low-frequency (VLF) chorus waves. However, there has been a competing theory to the local acceleration, radial diffusion by ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves, whose importance has not yet been determined definitively. Here we report a unique radiation belt event with intense ULF waves but no detectable VLF chorus waves. So, our results demonstrate that the ULFmore » waves moved the inner edge of the outer radiation belt earthward 0.3 Earth radii and enhanced the relativistic electron fluxes by up to one order of magnitude near the slot region within about 10 h, providing strong evidence for the radial diffusion of radiation belt relativistic electrons.« less

  6. Ultra-low-frequency wave-driven diffusion of radiation belt relativistic electrons

    DOE PAGES

    Su, Zhenpeng; Zhu, Hui; Xiao, Fuliang; ...

    2015-12-22

    The Van Allen radiation belts are typically two zones of energetic particles encircling the Earth separated by the slot region. How the outer radiation belt electrons are accelerated to relativistic energies remains an unanswered question. Recent studies have presented compelling evidence for the local acceleration by very-low-frequency (VLF) chorus waves. However, there has been a competing theory to the local acceleration, radial diffusion by ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves, whose importance has not yet been determined definitively. Here we report a unique radiation belt event with intense ULF waves but no detectable VLF chorus waves. So, our results demonstrate that the ULFmore » waves moved the inner edge of the outer radiation belt earthward 0.3 Earth radii and enhanced the relativistic electron fluxes by up to one order of magnitude near the slot region within about 10 h, providing strong evidence for the radial diffusion of radiation belt relativistic electrons.« less

  7. Rare Earth Element Geochemistry for Produced Waters, WY

    DOE Data Explorer

    Quillinan, Scott; Nye, Charles; McLing, Travis; Neupane, Hari

    2016-06-30

    These data represent major, minor, trace, isotopes, and rare earth element concentrations in geologic formations and water associated with oil and gas production. *Note - Link below contains updated version of spreadsheet (6/14/2017)

  8. Exploring the limits of EDS microanalysis: rare earth element analyses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ritchie, N. W. M.; Newbury, D. E.; Lowers, H.; Mengason, M.

    2018-01-01

    It is a great time to be a microanalyst. After a few decades of incremental progress in energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), the last decade has seen the accuracy and precision surge forward. Today, the question is not whether EDS is generally useful but to identify the types of problems for which wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometry remains the better choice. The full extent of EDS’s capabilities has surprised many. Low Z, low energy, and trace element detection have been demonstrated even in the presence of extreme peak interferences. In this paper, we will summarise the state-of-the-art and investigate a challenging problem domain, the analysis of minerals bearing multiple rare-earth elements.

  9. Review of rare earth element concentrations in oil shales of the Eocene Green River Formation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Birdwell, Justin E.

    2012-01-01

    Concentrations of the lanthanide series or rare earth elements and yttrium were determined for lacustrine oil shale samples from the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of Colorado and the Uinta Basin of Utah. Unprocessed oil shale, post-pyrolysis (spent) shale, and leached shale samples were examined to determine if oil-shale processing to generate oil or the remediation of retorted shale affects rare earth element concentrations. Results for unprocessed Green River oil shale samples were compared to data published in the literature on reference materials, such as chondritic meteorites, the North American shale composite, marine oil shale samples from two sites in northern Tibet, and mined rare earth element ores from the United States and China. The Green River oil shales had lower rare earth element concentrations (66.3 to 141.3 micrograms per gram, μg g-1) than are typical of material in the upper crust (approximately 170 μg g-1) and were also lower in rare earth elements relative to the North American shale composite (approximately 165 μg g-1). Adjusting for dilution of rare earth elements by organic matter does not account for the total difference between the oil shales and other crustal rocks. Europium anomalies for Green River oil shales from the Piceance Basin were slightly lower than those reported for the North American shale composite and upper crust. When compared to ores currently mined for rare earth elements, the concentrations in Green River oil shales are several orders of magnitude lower. Retorting Green River oil shales led to a slight enrichment of rare earth elements due to removal of organic matter. When concentrations in spent and leached samples were normalized to an original rock basis, concentrations were comparable to those of the raw shale, indicating that rare earth elements are conserved in processed oil shales.

  10. Rare Earth Oxide Fluoride Nanoparticles And Hydrothermal Method For Forming Nanoparticles

    DOEpatents

    Fulton, John L.; Hoffmann, Markus M.

    2003-12-23

    A hydrothermal method for forming nanoparticles of a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine has been discovered. Nanoparticles comprising a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine are also described. These nanoparticles can exhibit excellent refractory properties as well as remarkable stability in hydrothermal conditions. The nanoparticles can exhibit excellent properties for numerous applications including fiber reinforcement of ceramic composites, catalyst supports, and corrosion resistant coatings for high-temperature aqueous solutions.

  11. Rare earth oxide fluoride nanoparticles and hydrothermal method for forming nanoparticles

    DOEpatents

    Fulton, John L [Richland, WA; Hoffmann, Markus M [Richland, WA

    2001-11-13

    A hydrothermal method for forming nanoparticles of a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine has been discovered. Nanoparticles comprising a rare earth element, oxygen and fluorine are also described. These nanoparticles can exhibit excellent refractory properties as well as remarkable stability in hydrothermal conditions. The nanoparticles can exhibit excellent properties for numerous applications including fiber reinforcement of ceramic composites, catalyst supports, and corrosion resistant coatings for high-temperature aqueous solutions.

  12. Magnetocaloric properties of rare-earth substituted DyCrO{sub 3}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McDannald, A.; Jain, M., E-mail: menka.jain@uconn.edu; Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269

    Recently, there has been a focus on the need for efficient refrigeration technology without the use of expensive or harmful working fluids, especially at temperatures below 30 K. Solid state refrigeration, based on the magnetocaloric effect, provides a possible solution to this problem. The rare-earth chromites (RCrO{sub 3}), especially DyCrO{sub 3}, with its large magnetic moment dysprosium ion, are potential candidates for such an application. The Dy{sup 3+} ordering transition at low temperatures (<10 K) likely causes a large magnetocaloric response in this material. This study investigates the possibility of tuning the magnetocaloric properties through the use of rare-earth substitution. Both Y{supmore » 3+} and Ho{sup 3+} substitutions were found to decrease the magnetocaloric response by disrupting the R{sup 3+} ordering. Whereas Er{sup 3+} substitution was found to increase the magnetocaloric response, likely due to an increase in the R{sup 3+} ordering temperature. The large magnetocaloric entropy change of Er{sup 3+} substituted DyCrO{sub 3} (10.92 J/kg K with a relative cooling power of 237 J/kg at 40 kOe and 5 K) indicates that this material system is well suited for low temperature (<30 K) solid state refrigeration applications.« less

  13. The formation of crystals in glasses containing rare earth oxides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fadzil, Syazwani Mohd; Hrma, Pavel; Crum, Jarrod; Siong, Khoo Kok; Ngatiman, Mohammad Fadzlee; Said, Riduan Mt

    2014-02-01

    Korean spent nuclear fuel will reach the capacity of the available temporary storage by 2016. Pyroprocessing and direct disposal seems to be an alternative way to manage and reuse spent nuclear fuel while avoiding the wet reprocessing technology. Pyroprocessing produces several wastes streams, including metals, salts, and rare earths, which must be converted into stabilized form. A suitable form for rare earth immobilization is borosilicate glass. The borosilicate glass form exhibits excellent durability, allows a high waste loading, and is easy to process. In this work, we combined the rare earths waste of composition (in wt%) 39.2Nd2O3-22.7CeO2-11.7La2O3-10.9PrO2-1.3Eu2O3-1.3Gd2O3-8.1Sm2O3-4.8Y2O3 with a baseline glass of composition 60.2SiO2-16.0B2O3-12.6Na2O-3.8Al2O3-5.7CaO-1.7ZrO2. Crystallization in waste glasses occurs as the waste loading increases. It may produce complicate glass processing and affect the product quality. To study crystal formation, we initially made glasses containing 5%, 10% and 15% of La2O3 and then glasses with 5%, 10% and 15% of the complete rare earth mix. Samples were heat-treated for 24 hours at temperatures 800°C to 1150°C in 50°C increments. Quenched samples were analyzed using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Stillwellite (LaBSiO5) and oxyapatite (Ca2La8Si6O26) were found in glasses containing La2O3, while oxyapatite (Ca2La8Si6O26 and NaNd9Si6O26) precipitated in glasses with additions of mixed rare earths. The liquidus temperature (TL) of the glasses containing 5%, 10% and 15% La2O3 were 800°C, 959°C and 986°C, respectively; while TL was 825°C, 1059°C and 1267°C for glasses with 5%, 10% and 15% addition of mixed rare earth oxides. The component coefficients TB2O3, TSiO2, TCaO, and TRE2O3 were also evaluated using a recently published study.

  14. Separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons from spent nuclear fuel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Christian, Jerry D.; Sterbentz, James W.

    A method for the separation of the rare-earth fission product poisons comprising providing a spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel comprises UO.sub.2 and rare-earth oxides, preferably Sm, Gd, Nd, Eu oxides, with other elements depending on the fuel composition. Preferably, the provided nuclear fuel is a powder, preferably formed by crushing the nuclear fuel or using one or more oxidation-reduction cycles. A compound comprising Th or Zr, preferably metal, is provided. The provided nuclear fuel is mixed with the Th or Zr, thereby creating a mixture. The mixture is then heated to a temperature sufficient to reduce the UO.sub.2more » in the nuclear fuel, preferably to at least to 850.degree. C. for Th and up to 600.degree. C. for Zr. Rare-earth metals are then extracted to form the heated mixture thereby producing a treated nuclear fuel. The treated nuclear fuel comprises the provided nuclear fuel having a significant reduction in rare-earths.« less

  15. Solvent Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from a Nitric Acid Leach Solution of Apatite by Mixtures of Tributyl Phosphate and Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phosphoric Acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferdowsi, Ali; Yoozbashizadeh, Hossein

    2017-12-01

    Solvent extraction of rare earths from nitrate leach liquor of apatite using mixtures of tributyl phosphate (TBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) was studied. The effects of nitrate and hydrogen ion concentration of the aqueous phase as well as the composition and concentration of extractants in the organic phase on the extraction behavior of lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and yttrium were investigated. The distribution ratio of REEs increases by increasing the nitrate concentration in aqueous phase and concentration of extractants in organic phase, but the hydrogen ion concentration in aqueous phase has a decreasing effect. Yttrium as a heavy rare earth is more sensitive to these parameters than light rare earth elements. Although the composition of organic phase has a minor effect on the extraction of light rare earths, the percent of extraction of yttrium decreases dramatically by increasing the TBP content of organic phase. Mixtures of TBP and D2EHPA can show either synergism or antagonism extraction depending on the concentration and composition of extractants in organic phase. The best condition for separating rare earth elements in groups of heavy and light REEs can be achieved at high nitrate concentration, low H+ concentration, and high concentration of D2EHPA in organic phase. Separation of Ce and La by TBP and D2EHPA is practically impossible in the studied conditions; however, low nitrate concentration and high hydrogen ion concentration in aqueous phase and low concentration of extractants in organic phase favor the separation of Nd from other light rare earth elements.

  16. Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-31

    12 U.S. Department of Energy Report on Critical Mineral Strategy...17 Institute a New Critical Minerals Program...exports of rare earth minerals by 72%. In September 2010, China temporarily cut rare earth exports to Japan apparently over a maritime dispute. This

  17. An Operationally Simple Method for Separating the Rare-Earth Elements Neodymium and Dysprosium.

    PubMed

    Bogart, Justin A; Lippincott, Connor A; Carroll, Patrick J; Schelter, Eric J

    2015-07-06

    Rare-earth metals are critical components of electronic materials and permanent magnets. Recycling of consumer materials is a promising new source of rare earths. To incentivize recycling there is a clear need for simple methods for targeted separations of mixtures of rare-earth metal salts. Metal complexes of a tripodal nitroxide ligand [{(2-(t) BuNO)C6 H4 CH2 }3 N](3-) (TriNOx(3-) ), feature a size-sensitive aperture formed of its three η(2) -(N,O) ligand arms. Exposure of metal cations in the aperture induces a self-associative equilibrium comprising [M(TriNOx)thf]/ [M(TriNOx)]2 (M=rare-earth metal). Differences in the equilibrium constants (Keq ) for early and late metals enables simple Nd/Dy separations through leaching with a separation ratio SNd/Dy =359. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caffee, M.; Elmore, D.; Granger, D.; Muzikar, P.

    2002-12-01

    The Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory (PRIME Lab) is a dedicated research and service facility for accelerator mass spectrometry. AMS is an ultra-sensitive analytical technique used to measure low levels of long-lived cosmic-ray-produced and anthropogenic radionuclides, and rare trace elements. We measure 10Be (T1/2 = 1.5 My), 26Al (.702 My), 36Cl (.301 My), and 129I (16 My), in geologic samples. Applications include dating the cosmic-ray-exposure time of rocks on Earth's surface, determining rock and sediment burial ages, measuring the erosion rates of rocks and soils, and tracing and dating ground water. We perform sample preparation and separation chemistries for these radio-nuclides for our internal research activities and for those external researchers not possessing this capability. Our chemical preparation laboratories also serve as training sites for members of the geoscience community developing these techniques at their institutions. Research at Purdue involves collaborators among members of the Purdue Departments of Physics, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry, Agronomy, and Anthropology. We also collaborate and serve numerous scientists from other institutions. We are currently in the process of modernizing the facility with the goals of higher precision for routinely measured radio-nuclides, increased sample throughput, and the development of new measurement capabilities for the geoscience community.

  19. The Effect of Rare Earth on the Structure and Performance of Laser Clad Coatings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bao, Ruiliang; Yu, Huijun; Chen, Chuanzhong; Dong, Qing

    Laser cladding is one kind of advanced surface modification technology and has the abroad prospect in making the wear-resistant coating on metal substrates. However, the application of laser cladding technology does not achieve the people's expectation in the practical production because of many defects such as cracks, pores and so on. The addiction of rare earth can effectively reduce the number of cracks in the clad coating and enhance the coating wear-resistance. In the paper, the effects of rare earth on metallurgical quality, microstructure, phase structure and wear-resistance are analyzed in turns. The preliminary discussion is also carried out on the effect mechanism of rare earth. At last, the development tendency of rare earth in the laser cladding has been briefly elaborated.

  20. Multiple rare-earth ion environments in amorphous ( G d 2 O 3 ) 0.230 ( P 2 O 5 ) 0.770 revealed by gadolinium K -edge anomalous x-ray scattering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cole, Jacqueline M.; Cramer, Alisha J.; Shastri, Sarvjit D.

    A Gd K-edge anomalous X-ray scattering (AXS) study is performed on the rare-earth (R) phosphate glass, (Gd2O3)0.230(P2O5)0.770, in order to determine Gd…Gd separations in its local structure. The minimum rare-earth separation is of particular interest given that the optical properties of these glasses can quench when rare-earth ions become too close to each other. To this end, a weak Gd…Gd pairwise correlation is located at 4.2(1) Å which is representative of a meta-phosphate R…R separation. More intense first neighbor Gd…Gd pairwise correlations are found at the larger radial distributions, 4.8(1) Å, 5.1(1) Å and 5.4(1) Å. These reflect a mixedmore » ultra-phosphate and meta-phosphate structural character, respectively. A second neighbor Gd…Gd pairwise correlation lies at 6.6(1) Å which is indicative of meta-phosphate structures. Meta- and ultra-phosphate classifications are made by comparing the R…R separations against those of rare-earth phosphate crystal structures, R(PO3)3 and RP5O14 respectively, or difference pair distribution function (ΔPDF) features determined on similar glasses using difference neutron scattering methods. The local structure of this glass is therefore found to display multiple rare-earth ion environments, presumably because its composition lies between these two stoichiometric formulae. These Gd…Gd separations are well resolved in the ΔPDFs that represent the AXS signal. Indeed, the spatial resolution is so good that it also enables the identification of R…X (X = R, P, O) pairwise correlations up to r ~ 9 Å; their average separations lie at r ~ 7.1(1) Å, 7.6(1) Å 7.9(1) Å, 8.4(1) Å and 8.7(1) Å. This is the first report of a Gd K-edge AXS study on an amorphous material. Its demonstrated ability to characterize the local structure of a glass up to such a long-range of r, heralds exciting prospects for AXS studies on other ternary non-crystalline materials. However, the technical challenge of such an

  1. 77 FR 58578 - Certain Sintered Rare Earth Magnets, Methods of Making Same and Products Containing Same...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-21

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-855] Certain Sintered Rare Earth Magnets... importation of certain sintered rare earth magnets, methods of making same and products containing same by... importation of certain sintered rare earth magnets, methods of making same and products containing same that...

  2. Influence of rare earth doping on thermoelectric properties of SrTiO3 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, J.; Wang, C. L.; Li, Y.; Su, W. B.; Zhu, Y. H.; Li, J. C.; Mei, L. M.

    2013-12-01

    Thermoelectric properties of SrTiO3 ceramics, doped with different rare earth elements, were investigated in this work. It's found that the ionic radius of doping elements plays an important role on thermoelectric properties: SrTiO3 ceramics doped with large rare earth ions (such as La, Nd, and Sm) exhibit large power factors, and those doped with small ions (such as Gd, Dy, Er, and Y) exhibit low thermal conductivities. Therefore, a simple approach for enhancing the thermoelectric performance of SrTiO3 ceramics is proposed: mainly doped with large ions to obtain a large power factor and, simultaneously, slightly co-doped with small ions to obtain a low thermal conductivity. Based on this rule, Sr0.8La0.18Yb0.02TiO3 ceramics were prepared, whose ZT value at 1 023 K reaches 0.31, increasing by a factor of 19% compared with the single-doped counterpart Sr0.8La0.2TiO3 (ZT = 0.26).

  3. A survey of 16 rare Earth elements in the major foods in China.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Ding Guo; Yang, Jie; Zhang, Shuo; Yang, Da Jin

    2012-06-01

    The aim of this survey was to investigate the level of contamination of the most consumed foods in China with 16 rare earth elements (REEs), and to provide the basic data for establishing and revising food safety standards for REEs. Sixteen REEs in foods were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the labs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of four provinces and two municipalities, during 2009-2010. 1 231 samples were analyzed and 19 121 concentration data of 16 REEs were collected. The REEs levels in the investigated foods varied significantly. The concentrations of cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), and neodymium (Nd) were relatively high, while the remaining eleven REEs were at low levels. The mean values of total rare earth element oxides (REOs) in cereals, fresh vegetables, fresh aquatic products, fresh meats and eggs varied from 0.052 mg/kg to 0.337 mg/kg. 16 REEs in the major foods were at very low contamination levels in the investigated regions. Copyright © 2012 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Real World of Industrial Chemistry: Technology of the Rare Earths.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kremers, Howard E.

    1985-01-01

    The 17 rare earth elements account for one-fifth of the 83 naturally occurring elements and collectively rank as the 22nd most abundant "element." Properties of these elements (including their chemical similarity), their extraction from the earth, and their uses are discussed. (JN)

  5. Exchange interactions in two-state systems: rare earth pyrochlores.

    PubMed

    Curnoe, S H

    2018-06-13

    The general form of the nearest neighbour exchange interaction for rare earth pyrochlores is derived based on symmetry. Generally, the rare earth angular momentum degeneracy is lifted by the crystal electric field (CEF) into singlets and doublets. When the CEF ground state is a doublet that is well-separated from the first excited state the CEF ground state doublet can be treated as a pseudo-spin of some kind. The general form of the nearest neighbour exchange interaction for pseudo-spins on the pyrochlore lattice is derived for three different types of pseudo-spins. The methodology presented in this paper can be applied to other two-state spin systems with a high space group symmetry.

  6. Exchange interactions in two-state systems: rare earth pyrochlores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curnoe, S. H.

    2018-06-01

    The general form of the nearest neighbour exchange interaction for rare earth pyrochlores is derived based on symmetry. Generally, the rare earth angular momentum degeneracy is lifted by the crystal electric field (CEF) into singlets and doublets. When the CEF ground state is a doublet that is well-separated from the first excited state the CEF ground state doublet can be treated as a pseudo-spin of some kind. The general form of the nearest neighbour exchange interaction for pseudo-spins on the pyrochlore lattice is derived for three different types of pseudo-spins. The methodology presented in this paper can be applied to other two-state spin systems with a high space group symmetry.

  7. Ultra-rapid earth rotation determination with VLBI during CONT11 and CONT14

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haas, Rüdiger; Hobiger, Thomas; Kurihara, Shinobu; Hara, Tetsuya

    2015-08-01

    In 2007 the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) and the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) started a collaboration project aiming at determining the earth rotation angle, usually expressed as UT1-UTC, in near real-time. In the beginning of this project dedicated one hour long one-baseline experiments were observed periodically using the VLBI stations Onsala (Sweden) and Tsukuba (Japan). The strategy is that the observed VLBI data are sent in real-time via the international optical fibre backbone to the correlator at Tsukuba where the data are correlated with a software correlator and analyzed in near-real time with the c5++ VLBI data analysis software, thus producing UT1-UTC results with very low latency. The latency between the observation at the stations and the determination of UT1-UTC is on the order of a few minutes, thus we can talk about an ultra-rapid determination of UT1-UTC. An offline version of this strategy was adopted in 2009 for the regular VLBI intensive series INT-2, organized by the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS), that involves Wettzell (Germany) and Tsukuba. Since March 2010 the INT-2 is using real-time e-transfer, too, and since June 2010 also automated analysis. Starting in 2009 the ultra-rapid approach was applied to regular 24 hour long IVS VLBI-sessions that involve Tsukuba and Onsala, so that ultra-rapid UT1-UTC results can be produced already during ongoing VLBI-sessions. This strategy was successfully operated during the 15 days long continuous VLBI campaigns CONT11 and CONT14. In this presentation we give an overview of the ultra-rapid concept, present the results derived during CONT11 and CONT14, and compare these ultra-rapid results to results derived from post-processing

  8. Ultra-rapid earth rotation determination with VLBI during CONT11 and CONT14

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haas, Rüdiger; Hobiger, Thomas; Kurihara, Shinobu; Hara, Tetsuya

    2016-04-01

    In 2007 the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) and the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) started a collaboration project aiming at determining the earth rotation angle, usually expressed as UT1-UTC, in near real-time. In the beginning of this project dedicated one hour long one-baseline experiments were observed periodically using the VLBI stations Onsala (Sweden) and Tsukuba (Japan). The strategy is that the observed VLBI data are sent in real-time via the international optical fibre backbone to the correlator at Tsukuba where the data are correlated with a software correlator and analyzed in near-real time with the c5++ VLBI data analysis software, thus producing UT1-UTC results with very low latency. The latency between the observation at the stations and the determination of UT1-UTC is on the order of a few minutes, thus we can talk about an ultra-rapid determination of UT1-UTC. An offline version of this strategy was adopted in 2009 for the regular VLBI intensive series INT-2, organized by the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS), that involves Wettzell (Germany) and Tsukuba. Since March 2010 the INT-2 is using real-time e-transfer, too, and since June 2010 also automated analysis. Starting in 2009 the ultra-rapid approach was applied to regular 24 hour long IVS VLBI-sessions that involve Tsukuba and Onsala, so that ultra-rapid UT1-UTC results can be produced already during ongoing VLBI-sessions. This strategy was successfully operated during the 15 days long continuous VLBI campaigns CONT11 and CONT14. In this presentation we give an overview of the ultra-rapid concept, present the results derived during CONT11 and CONT14, and compare these ultra-rapid results to results derived from post-processing.

  9. The impact of rare earth cobalt permanent magnets on electromechanical device design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fisher, R. L.; Studer, P. A.

    1979-01-01

    Specific motor designs which employ rare earth cobalt magnets are discussed with special emphasis on their unique properties and magnetic field geometry. In addition to performance improvements and power savings, high reliability devices are attainable. Both the mechanism and systems engineering should be aware of the new performance levels which are currently becoming available as a result of the rare earth cobalt magnets.

  10. Time-gated flow cytometry: an ultra-high selectivity method to recover ultra-rare-event μ-targets in high-background biosamples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Dayong; Piper, James A.; Leif, Robert C.; Yang, Sean; Ferrari, Belinda C.; Yuan, Jingli; Wang, Guilan; Vallarino, Lidia M.; Williams, John W.

    2009-03-01

    A fundamental problem for rare-event cell analysis is auto-fluorescence from nontarget particles and cells. Time-gated flow cytometry is based on the temporal-domain discrimination of long-lifetime (>1 μs) luminescence-stained cells and can render invisible all nontarget cell and particles. We aim to further evaluate the technique, focusing on detection of ultra-rare-event 5-μm calibration beads in environmental water dirt samples. Europium-labeled 5-μm calibration beads with improved luminescence homogeneity and reduced aggregation were evaluated using the prototype UV LED excited time-gated luminescence (TGL) flow cytometer (FCM). A BD FACSAria flow cytometer was used to sort accurately a very low number of beads (<100 events), which were then spiked into concentrated samples of environmental water. The use of europium-labeled beads permitted the demonstration of specific detection rates of 100%+/-30% and 91%+/-3% with 10 and 100 target beads, respectively, that were mixed with over one million nontarget autofluorescent background particles. Under the same conditions, a conventional FCM was unable to recover rare-event fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) calibration beads. Preliminary results on Giardia detection are also reported. We have demonstrated the scientific value of lanthanide-complex biolabels in flow cytometry. This approach may augment the current method that uses multifluorescence-channel flow cytometry gating.

  11. Assessment of trading partners for China's rare earth exports using a decision analytic approach.

    PubMed

    He, Chunyan; Lei, Yalin; Ge, Jianping

    2014-01-01

    Chinese rare earth export policies currently result in accelerating its depletion. Thus adopting an optimal export trade selection strategy is crucial to determining and ultimately identifying the ideal trading partners. This paper introduces a multi-attribute decision-making methodology which is then used to select the optimal trading partner. In the method, an evaluation criteria system is established to assess the seven top trading partners based on three dimensions: political relationships, economic benefits and industrial security. Specifically, a simple additive weighing model derived from an additive utility function is utilized to calculate, rank and select alternatives. Results show that Japan would be the optimal trading partner for Chinese rare earths. The criteria evaluation method of trading partners for China's rare earth exports provides the Chinese government with a tool to enhance rare earth industrial policies.

  12. [Application of ICP-MS to Detect Rare Earth Elements in Three Economic Macroalgaes in China].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yan-fang; Shang, De-rong; Zhai, Yu-xiu; Ning, Jin-song; Ding, Hai-yan; Sheng, Xiao-feng

    2015-11-01

    In order to investigate the content and distribution of rare earth elements (REE) in main economic macroalgaes in our country, fifteen rare earth elements in three economic macroalgaes (including 30 samples of kelp, 30 samples of laver and 15 samples of Enteromorpha) were detected using ICP-MS method. Results showed that the total content of REE in different species of macroalgaes was different. The highest total content of REE was in Enteromorpha (16,012.0 ng · g⁻¹), while in kelp and laver, the total REE was similar for two macroalgaes (3887.4 and 4318.1 ng · g⁻¹ respectively). The content of fifteen rare earth elements in kelp ranged from 7.9 to 1496.4 ng · g⁻¹; in laver, it ranged from 8.2 to 1836.6 ng · g⁻¹. For Enteromorpha, the concentration of 15 rare earth elements were between 19.2 and 6014.5 ng · g⁻¹. In addition, the content and distribution of different rare earth elements in different macroalgaes was also different. For kelp, the highest content of REE was Ce (1 496.4 ng · g⁻¹), and the second was La (689.1 ng · g⁻¹). For laver, the highest was Y (1836.6 ng · g⁻¹), and the second was Ce (682.2 ng · g⁻¹). For Enteromorpha, the highest was Ce (6014.5 ng · g⁻¹), and the second was La (2902.9 ng · g⁻¹). Present results also showed that three macroalgaes accumulated the light rare earth elements much more than the high rare earth elements. The light rare earth elements occupied 90.9%, 87.3% and 91.1% for kelp, laver and Enteromorpha respectively. The result that the Enteromorpha had high content of rare earth elements could provide important support for opening new research directions for the utilization of Enteromorpha.

  13. Highly-sensitive open-cell LA-ICPMS approaches for the quantification of rare earth elements in natural carbonates at parts-per-billion levels.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chung-Che; Burger, Marcel; Günther, Detlef; Shen, Chuan-Chou; Hattendorf, Bodo

    2018-08-14

    This work presents a high-sensitivity approach to quantify ultra-trace concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) in speleothem carbonates using open-cell laser ablation-sector field-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (open-cell LA-SF-ICPMS). Specifically, open-cell LA in combination with a gas exchange device enabled sampling of large-scale carbonate specimens in an ambient environment. The use of a "jet" vacuum interface and the addition of small amounts of N 2 gas allowed for a 20-40 fold sensitivity enhancement compared to the conventional interface configuration. Mass load effects, quantification capabilities and detection power were investigated in analyses of reference materials using various combinations of spot sizes and laser repetition rates. From a 160 μm diameter circular laser spot and 10 Hz ablation frequency, limits of detection were in the low or sub-ng g -1 range for REEs. Little dependence of Ca normalized sensitivity factors on the amount of material introduced into the plasma was observed. Relative deviations of quantified concentrations from USGS MACS-3 preferred values were smaller than 12%. The analytical approach enabled the determination of REE concentration profiles at the single digit ng g -1 level. Application to a 15-cm piece stalagmite collected from East Timor revealed at least two abrupt elevations in light rare earth elements (LREEs) within a scanning distance of 8 mm. These anomaly regions extended over a distance of ≈200 μm and showed LREE abundances elevated by at least one order of magnitude. This high-resolution open-cell LA-SF-ICPMS method has the potential to be applied in micro-domain analyses of other natural carbonates, such as travertine, tufa, and flowstones. This is promising for a better understanding of earth and environmental sciences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Diversification of the rare-earth business in the existing enterprises

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bogdanov, S. V.; Grishaev, S. I.; Yazev, V. A.

    2013-12-01

    The development of the modern rare-earth business is analyzed, and the possibilities of using a mathematical description of the prospects of this business on the basis of nonlinear evolution equations are estimated. The well-known methods of describing the life cycle of the economic activity of a commercial company in the closed multisector model of market economics is used to determine the boundaries of changing the average labor productivity during the diversification of business on operating Russian enterprises that produce a wide range of products and are intended to manufacture new types of high-technology rare-earth metal products.

  15. Comparison of Single-Phase and Two-Phase Composite Thermal Barrier Coatings with Equal Total Rare-Earth Content

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rai, Amarendra K.; Schmitt, Michael P.; Dorfman, Mitchell R.; Zhu, Dongming; Wolfe, Douglas E.

    2018-04-01

    Rare-earth zirconates have been the focus of advanced thermal barrier coating research for nearly two decades; however, their lack of toughness prevents a wide-scale adoption due to lack of erosion and thermal cyclic durability. There are generally two methods of improving toughness: intrinsic modification of the coating chemistry and extrinsic modification of the coating structure. This study compares the efficacy of these two methods for a similar overall rare-earth content via the air plasma spray process. The extrinsically toughened coatings were comprised of a two-phase composite containing 30 wt.% Gd2Zr2O7 (GZO) combined with 70 wt.% of a tougher t' low-k material (ZrO2-2Y2O3-1Gd2O3-1Yb2O3; mol.%), while a single-phase fluorite with the overall rare-earth content equivalent to the two-phase composite (13 mol.% rare-earth) was utilized to explore intrinsically toughened concept. The coatings were then characterized via x-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, and their performance was evaluated via erosion, thermal conductivity, thermal annealing (500 h), and thermal cycling. It was shown that the extrinsic method provided an improved erosion and thermal conductivity response over the single phase, but at the expense of high-temperature stability and cyclic life.

  16. Growth of rare-earth doped single crystal yttrium aluminum garnet fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bera, Subhabrata; Nie, Craig D.; Harrington, James A.; Cheng, Long; Rand, Stephen C.; Li, Yuan; Johnson, Eric G.

    2018-02-01

    Rare-earth doped single crystal (SC) yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) fibers have great potential as high-power laser gain media. SC fibers combine the superior material properties of crystals with the advantages of a fiber geometry. Improving processing techniques, growth of low-loss YAG SC fibers have been reported. A low-cost technique that allows for the growth of optical quality Ho:YAG single crystal (SC) fibers with different dopant concentrations have been developed and discussed. This technique is a low-cost sol-gel based method which offers greater flexibility in terms of dopant concentration. Self-segregation of Nd ions in YAG SC fibers have been observed. Such a phenomenon can be utilized to fabricate monolithic SC fibers with graded index.

  17. Analysis of “Favorable Growth Element” Based on Rare Earth-aluminum Composite Mechanism of Compound Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hao, Baohong; Zeng, Qihui; Zhao, Jin

    2018-01-01

    Under the background that failure resulted in by high temperature once only aluminum oxide is used as the gasoline additive. This paper, with the purpose to solve this problem, is to synthesize AcAl oxide for gasoline additive. In order to get the rare-earth-aluminum oxide, first, a complex model of rare earth oxide based on theories about ion coordination is established. Then, by the complex model, the type of “compound growth unit” when rare earth elements join the hydrothermal conditions and the inclination that “diversification” might probably happen are deduced. Depending on the results got by complex model, this paper introduces the type of compound and its existence conditions of “Compound growth unit” owned by stable rare-earth-aluminum oxide. By adjusting the compositions of modifier, compound materials of rare earth-aluminum oxide used for gasoline additive is made. By XRD test, aperture test, adsorption test and desorption test, the theoretical deduction is proved to be right. From the experiment, it is concluded that: a dense environment is the pre-condition to form rare-earth-aluminum polymer, which is also an essential condition for the polymer to update to a favorable growth unit and produce mesoporous rare-earth-aluminum oxide with high activity.

  18. Rare-earth elements

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Verplanck, Philip L.; Seal, Robert R.; Long, Keith R.; Gambogi, Joseph; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

    2017-12-19

    The rare-earth elements (REEs) are 15 elements that range in atomic number from 57 (lanthanum) to 71 (lutetium); they are commonly referred to as the “lanthanides.” Yttrium (atomic number 39) is also commonly regarded as an REE because it shares chemical and physical similarities and has affinities with the lanthanides. Although REEs are not rare in terms of average crustal abundance, the concentrated deposits of REEs are limited in number.Because of their unusual physical and chemical properties, the REEs have diverse defense, energy, industrial, and military technology applications. The glass industry is the leading consumer of REE raw materials, which are used for glass polishing and as additives that provide color and special optical properties to the glass. Lanthanum-based catalysts are used in petroleum refining, and cerium-based catalysts are used in automotive catalytic converters. The use of REEs in magnets is a rapidly increasing application. Neodymium-iron-boron magnets, which are the strongest known type of magnets, are used when space and weight are restrictions. Nickel-metal hydride batteries use anodes made of a lanthanum-based alloys.China, which has led the world production of REEs for decades, accounted for more than 90 percent of global production and supply, on average, during the past decade. Citing a need to retain its limited REE resources to meet domestic requirements as well as concerns about the environmental effects of mining, China began placing restrictions on the supply of REEs in 2010 through the imposition of quotas, licenses, and taxes. As a result, the global rare-earth industry has increased its stockpiling of REEs; explored for deposits outside of China; and promoted new efforts to conserve, recycle, and substitute for REEs. New mine production began at Mount Weld in Western Australia, and numerous other exploration and development projects noted in this chapter are ongoing throughout the world.The REE-bearing minerals are

  19. [Effects of rare earth compounds on human peripheral mononuclear cell telomerase and apoptosis].

    PubMed

    Yu, Li; Dai, Yu-Cheng; Yuan, Zhao-Kang; Li, Jie

    2004-07-01

    To study the effects of rare earth exposure on human telomerase and apoptosis of human peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMNs). Rare earth mine lot in Xunwu county, the biggest ion absorptive rare earth mine lot of China, was selected as the study site. Another village of Xunwu county, with comparable geological structure and social environment was selected as the control site. Thirty healthy adults were randomly selected from the study site as exposure group and another 30 healthy adults randomly selected from the control site as control group. The blood content of 15 rare earth elements, including La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and Y, were determined by inductive coupled plasma-source mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The total contents of rare earth elements in the blood were calculated. The TRAP and FCM assays were carried out to analyse the telomerase and apoptosis of human PBMNCs respectively. In the exposure group, the concentration of La, Ce, Dy and Y were significantly higher (P<0.001), and Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd and Yb were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total content of rare earth in the blood of exposure group showed significant difference compared with control group (P<0.001). Telomerase activity in PBMNs of the exposure group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); there were 11 adults in the exposure group (30 adults) and 5 adults in control group (30 adults) showed positive telomerase activity. The average age of the exposure group was (38.69 +/- 8.02) years-old, while the control group was (40.45 +/- 9.02) years-old (P >0.05). It was found that there was a significant relationship between telomerase activity and the total content of rare earth elements (P <0.01). 3. The proportion of apoptosis was not different between the two groups (P >0.05), but the cells in the S-phase and G2-M phase were increased (P <0.01) in the exposed group. The telomerase activity of PBMNs in the rare earth elements exposed group

  20. Energetic Ionic Liquids Based on Anionic Rare Earth Nitrate Complexes (Preprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-07-10

    a glass transition temperature (Tg) at -46 oC. However, it is only stable in dry air, and thus must be protected from water. At 75 oC, clear weight...involved highly toxic and corrosive chemicals, N2O4 and NOCl. Ligands which coordinate via oxygen atoms to a rare earth metal ion give rise to stable...complexes. Thus higher air and thermal stabilities may be obtained by introducing rare earth metal nitrates as main components of ionic liquids. We

  1. The Development of HfO2-Rare Earth Based Oxide Materials and Barrier Coatings for Thermal Protection Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhu, Dongming; Harder, Bryan James

    2014-01-01

    Advanced hafnia-rare earth oxides, rare earth aluminates and silicates have been developed for thermal environmental barrier systems for aerospace propulsion engine and thermal protection applications. The high temperature stability, low thermal conductivity, excellent oxidation resistance and mechanical properties of these oxide material systems make them attractive and potentially viable for thermal protection systems. This paper will focus on the development of the high performance and high temperature capable ZrO2HfO2-rare earth based alloy and compound oxide materials, processed as protective coating systems using state-or-the-art processing techniques. The emphasis has been in particular placed on assessing their temperature capability, stability and suitability for advanced space vehicle entry thermal protection systems. Fundamental thermophysical and thermomechanical properties of the material systems have been investigated at high temperatures. Laser high-heat-flux testing has also been developed to validate the material systems, and demonstrating durability under space entry high heat flux conditions.

  2. Rare Earth Element Concentrations in Submarine Hydrothermal Fluids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fowler, Andrew; Zierenberg, Robert

    Rare earth element concentrations in submarine hydrothermal fluids from Alarcon Rise, East Pacific Rise, REE concentrations in submarine hydrothermal fluids from Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California, and the Cleft vent field, southern Juan de Fuca Ridge. Data are not corrected to zero Mg.

  3. A divalent rare earth oxide semiconductor: Yttrium monoxide

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kaminaga, Kenichi; Sei, Ryosuke; Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578

    Rare earth oxides are usually widegap insulators like Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} with closed shell trivalent rare earth ions. In this study, solid phase rock salt structure yttrium monoxide, YO, with unusual valence of Y{sup 2+} (4d{sup 1}) was synthesized in a form of epitaxial thin film by pulsed laser deposition method. YO has been recognized as gaseous phase in previous studies. In contrast with Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, YO was dark-brown colored and narrow gap semiconductor. The tunable electrical conductivity ranging from 10{sup −1} to 10{sup 3} Ω{sup −1 }cm{sup −1} was attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies serving as electron donor.more » Weak antilocalization behavior observed in magnetoresistance indicated significant role of spin-orbit coupling as a manifestation of 4d electron carrier.« less

  4. Metallic rare-earth silicide nanowires on silicon surfaces.

    PubMed

    Dähne, Mario; Wanke, Martina

    2013-01-09

    The formation, atomic structure, and electronic properties of self-assembled rare-earth silicide nanowires on silicon surfaces were studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Metallic dysprosium and erbium silicide nanowires were observed on both the Si(001) and Si(557) surfaces. It was found that they consist of hexagonal rare-earth disilicides for both surface orientations. On Si(001), the nanowires are characterized by a one-dimensional band structure, while the electronic dispersion is two-dimensional for the nanowires formed on Si(557). This behavior is explained by the different orientations of the hexagonal c axis of the silicide leading to different conditions for the carrier confinement. By considering this carrier confinement it is demonstrated how the one-dimensional band structure of the nanowires on Si(001) can be derived from the two-dimensional one of the silicide monolayer on Si(111).

  5. Rare Earth Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) Selective Emitters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chubb, Donald L.; Pal, AnnaMarie T.; Patton, Martin O.; Jenkins, Phillip P.

    1999-01-01

    As a result of their electron structure, rare earth ions in crystals at high temperature emit radiation in several narrow bands rather than in a continuous blackbody manner. This study presents a spectral emittance model for films and cylinders of rare earth doped yttrium aluminum garnets. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical film spectral emittances was found for erbium and holmium aluminum garnets. Spectral emittances of films are sensitive to temperature differences across the film. For operating conditions of interest, the film emitter experiences a linear temperature variation whereas the cylinder emitter has a more advantageous uniform temperature. Emitter efficiency is also a sensitive function of temperature. For holminum aluminum garnet film the efficiency is 0.35 at 1446K but only 0.27 at 1270 K.

  6. Thermochemistry of Rare Earth Silicates for Environmental Barrier Coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Costa, Gustavo; Jacobson, Nathan

    2015-01-01

    Rare earth silicates are promising candidates as environmental protective coatings (EBCs) for silica-forming ceramics and composites in combustion environments since they are predicted to have lower reactivity with the water vapor combustion products. The reactivity of rare earth silicates is assessed by the thermodynamic activity of the silica component which is best measured by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry (KEMS). Here, we discuss a novel method based on a reducing agent to increase the partial pressure of SiO(g) which is then used to calculate thermodynamic activity of silica in Y2O3-SiO2 and Yb2O3-SiO2 systems. After the KEMS measurements, samples were probed by X-ray diffraction and their phase content was calculated from Rietveld refinement.

  7. Enhanced separation of rare earth elements

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lyon, K.; Greenhalgh, M.; Herbst, R. S.

    2016-09-01

    Industrial rare earth separation processes utilize PC88A, a phosphonic acid ligand, for solvent extraction separations. The separation factors of the individual rare earths, the equipment requirements, and chemical usage for these flowsheets are well characterized. Alternative ligands such as Cyanex® 572 and the associated flowsheets are being investigated at the pilot scale level to determine if significant improvements to the current separation processes can be realized. These improvements are identified as higher separation factors, reduced stage requirements, or reduced chemical consumption. Any of these improvements can significantly affect the costs associated with these challenging separation proccesses. A mid/heavy rare earthmore » element (REE) separations flowsheet was developed and tested for each ligand in a 30 stage mixer-settler circuit to compare the separation performance of PC88A and Cyanex® 572. The ligand-metal complex strength of Cyanex® 572 provides efficient extraction of REE while significantly reducing the strip acid requirements. Reductions in chemical consumption have a significant impact on process economics for REE separations. Partitioning results summarized Table 1 indicate that Cyanex® 572 offers the same separation performance as PC88A while reducing acid consumption by 30% in the strip section for the mid/heavy REE separation. Flowsheet Effluent Compositions PC88A Cyanex® 572 Raffinate Mid REE Heavy REE 99.40% 0.60% 99.40% 0.60% Rich Mid REE Heavy REE 2.20% 97.80% 0.80% 99.20% Liquor Strip Acid Required 3.4 M 2.3 M Table 1 – Flowsheet results comparing separation performance of PC88A and Cyanex® 572 for a mid/heavy REE separation.« less

  8. Assessment of Trading Partners for China's Rare Earth Exports Using a Decision Analytic Approach

    PubMed Central

    He, Chunyan; Lei, Yalin; Ge, Jianping

    2014-01-01

    Chinese rare earth export policies currently result in accelerating its depletion. Thus adopting an optimal export trade selection strategy is crucial to determining and ultimately identifying the ideal trading partners. This paper introduces a multi-attribute decision-making methodology which is then used to select the optimal trading partner. In the method, an evaluation criteria system is established to assess the seven top trading partners based on three dimensions: political relationships, economic benefits and industrial security. Specifically, a simple additive weighing model derived from an additive utility function is utilized to calculate, rank and select alternatives. Results show that Japan would be the optimal trading partner for Chinese rare earths. The criteria evaluation method of trading partners for China's rare earth exports provides the Chinese government with a tool to enhance rare earth industrial policies. PMID:25051534

  9. Ultra-low dose naltrexone enhances cannabinoid-induced antinociception.

    PubMed

    Paquette, Jay; Olmstead, Mary C; Olmstead, Mary

    2005-12-01

    Both opioids and cannabinoids have inhibitory effects at micromolar doses, which are mediated by activated receptors coupling to Gi/o-proteins. Surprisingly, the analgesic effects of opioids are enhanced by ultra-low doses (nanomolar to picomolar) of the opioid antagonist, naltrexone. As opioid and cannabinoid systems interact, this study investigated whether ultra-low dose naltrexone also influences cannabinoid-induced antinociception. Separate groups of Long-Evans rats were tested for antinociception following an injection of vehicle, a sub-maximal dose of the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55 212-2, naltrexone (an ultra-low or a high dose) or a combination of WIN 55 212-2 and naltrexone doses. Tail-flick latencies were recorded for 3 h, at 10-min intervals for the first hour, and at 15-min intervals thereafter. Ultra-low dose naltrexone elevated WIN 55 212-2-induced tail flick thresholds without extending its duration of action. This enhancement was replicated in animals receiving intraperitoneal or intravenous injections. A high dose of naltrexone had no effect on WIN 55 212-2-induced tail flick latencies, but a high dose of the cannabinoid 1 receptor antagonist SR 141716 blocked the elevated tail-flick thresholds produced by WIN 55 212-2+ultra-low dose naltrexone. These data suggest a mechanism of cannabinoid-opioid interaction whereby activated opioid receptors that couple to Gs-proteins may attenuate cannabinoid-induced antinociception and/or motor functioning.

  10. Superposition-model analysis of rare-earth doped BaY2F8

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magnani, N.; Amoretti, G.; Baraldi, A.; Capelletti, R.

    The energy level schemes of four rare-earth dopants (Ce3+ , Nd3+ , Dy3+ , and Er3+) in BaY2 F-8 , as determined by optical absorption spectra, were fitted with a single-ion Hamiltonian and analysed within Newman's Superposition Model for the crystal field. A unified picture for the four dopants was obtained, by assuming a distortion of the F- ligand cage around the RE site; within the framework of the Superposition Model, this distortion is found to have a marked anisotropic behaviour for heavy rare earths, while it turns into an isotropic expansion of the nearest-neighbours polyhedron for light rare earths. It is also inferred that the substituting ion may occupy an off-center position with respect to the original Y3+ site in the crystal.

  11. Characteristics and genesis of Rare Earth Element (REE) in western Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handoko, A. D.; Sanjaya, E.

    2018-02-01

    Rare Earth Element (REE) has unique properties that have been used in many hightech applications. The demand of REE increased recently in the world due to its special properties. Although REE concentration in the crust is higher than gold, economically viable deposits are still rare. Reduction of REE exports by China cause increased prices of REE. Due to this condition, exploration of potential REE mines emerged. Indonesia also participates in this phenomenon, and explore the possibility of REE mines in its area. This review will discuss the characteristics and genesis of REE and its occurrence in western Indonesia; focused in Sumatera, Tin Island, and Kalimantan. The review is done based on literature research from several resources about characteristics of rare earth element in general and in the given area. The research shows that the potential REE mines can be found in several different locations in Indonesia, such as Tin Island, Sumatera, and Kalimantan. Most of them are composed of monazite, zircon, and xenotime as rare earth minerals. Monazite iss known for its elevated number of radioactive elements, so study about radioactive content and more environment friendly ore processing becomes compulsory.

  12. Rare Earth Geochemistry of Rock Core form WY Reservoirs

    DOE Data Explorer

    Quillinan, Scott; Bagdonnas, Davin; McLaughlin, J. Fred; Nye, Charles

    2016-10-01

    These data include major, minor, trace and rare earth element concentration of geologic formations in Wyoming oil and gas fields. *Note - Link below contains updated version of spreadsheet (6/14/2017)

  13. Facile and Efficient Decontamination of Thorium from Rare Earths Based on Selective Selenite Crystallization.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yaxing; Lu, Huangjie; Dai, Xing; Duan, Tao; Bai, Xiaojing; Cai, Yawen; Yin, Xuemiao; Chen, Lanhua; Diwu, Juan; Du, Shiyu; Zhou, Ruhong; Chai, Zhifang; Albrecht-Schmitt, Thomas E; Liu, Ning; Wang, Shuao

    2018-02-19

    The coexistence of radioactive contaminants (e.g., thorium, uranium, and their daughters) in rare earth minerals introduces significant environmental, economic, and technological hurdles in modern rare earth production. Efficient, low cost, and green decontamination strategies are therefore desired to ameliorate this problem. We report here a single-step and quantitative decontamination strategy of thorium from rare earths based on a unique periodic trend in the formation of crystalline selenite compounds across the lanthanide series, where Ce(III) is fully oxidized in situ to Ce(IV). This gives rise to a crystallization system that is highly selective to trap tetravalent f-blocks while all other trivalent lanthanides completely remain in solution when coexist. These results are bolstered by first-principles calculations of lattice energies and an examination of bonding in these compounds. This system is contrasted with typical natural and synthetic systems, where trivalent and tetravalent f-block elements often cocrystallize. The separation factors after one round of crystallization were determined from binary systems of Th(IV)/La(III), Th(IV)/Eu(III), and Th(IV)/Yb(III) to reach 2.1 × 10 5 , 1.2 × 10 5 , and 9 × 10 4 , respectively. Selective crystallization of thorium from a simulated monazite composite yields a separation factor of 1.9 × 10 3 with nearly quantitative removal of thorium.

  14. Rare earth element mobility in vesicular lava during low-grade metamorphism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nyström, Jan Olov

    1984-12-01

    A geochemical comparison of basaltic relicts and spilitic domains from two burial metamorphosed flows in central Chile, of similar original composition and rich and poor in amygdules, respectively, demonstrates a relationship between initial vesicularity and rare earth element (REE) mobility. During spilitization the REE were partly leached from permeable parts of the flows and precipitated in voids, now amygdules and veinlets. The REE (excluding Eu) moved coherently in the highly amygdaloidal flow: spilitic domains and amygdules inherited the basaltic REE pattern. Besides being characterized by a positive Eu anomaly, epidotes separated from amygdules have a REE distribution which mimics that of the basalt; the absolute contents range widely, suggesting local and/or temporal REE variations in the metamorphic fluids. Pumpellyite differs by being strongly enriched in heavy REE. Similar ratios of Th, Hf and Ta in samples as contrasting as relict basalt and a geode are consistent with coherent leaching. Coherent mobility, when established for a rock system, can be used to elucidate, for example, whether minerals in cross-cutting veins were formed by local redistribution or from introduced material.

  15. Hydrogels dispersed by doped rare earth fluoride nanocrystals: ionic liquid dispersion and down/up-conversion luminescence.

    PubMed

    Yan, Zhi-Yuan; Jia, Li-Ping; Yan, Bing

    2014-01-01

    Two typical kinds of rare earth fluoride nanocrystals codoped with rare earth ions (Eu(3+) and Tm(3+)/Er(3+),Yb(3+)) are synthesized and dispersed in ionic liquid compound (1-chlorohexane-3-methylimidazolium chloride, abbreviated as [C6mim][Cl]). Assisted by agarose, the luminescent hydrogels are prepared homogeneously. The down/up-conversion luminescence of these hydrogels can be realized for the dispersed rare earth fluoride nanocrystals. The results provide a strategy to prepare luminescent (especially up-conversion luminescent) hydrogels with ionic liquid to disperse rare earth fluoride nanocrystals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. 77 FR 51046 - Certain Sintered Rare Earth Magnets, Methods of Making Same and Products Containing Same; Notice...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-23

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Docket No. 2908] Certain Sintered Rare Earth Magnets, Methods of... Certain Sintered Rare Earth Magnets, Methods of Making Same and Products Containing Same, DN 2908; the... importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain sintered rare earth magnets...

  17. Brain MR imaging at ultra-low radiofrequency power.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, Subhendra N; Alsop, David C; Madhuranthakam, Ananth J; Busse, Reed F; Robson, Philip M; Rofsky, Neil M; Hackney, David B

    2011-05-01

    To explore the lower limits for radiofrequency (RF) power-induced specific absorption rate (SAR) achievable at 1.5 T for brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging without loss of tissue signal or contrast present in high-SAR clinical imaging in order to create a potentially viable MR method at ultra-low RF power to image tissues containing implanted devices. An institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant prospective MR study design was used, with written informed consent from all subjects prior to MR sessions. Seven healthy subjects were imaged prospectively at 1.5 T with ultra-low-SAR optimized three-dimensional (3D) fast spin-echo (FSE) and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) T2-weighted sequences and an ultra-low-SAR 3D spoiled gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state T1-weighted sequence. Corresponding high-SAR two-dimensional (2D) clinical sequences were also performed. In addition to qualitative comparisons, absolute signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) for multicoil, parallel imaging acquisitions were generated by using a Monte Carlo method for quantitative comparison between ultra-low-SAR and high-SAR results. There were minor to moderate differences in the absolute tissue SNR and CNR values and in qualitative appearance of brain images obtained by using ultra-low-SAR and high-SAR techniques. High-SAR 2D T2-weighted imaging produced slightly higher SNR, while ultra-low-SAR 3D technique not only produced higher SNR for T1-weighted and FLAIR images but also higher CNRs for all three sequences for most of the brain tissues. The 3D techniques adopted here led to a decrease in the absorbed RF power by two orders of magnitude at 1.5 T, and still the image quality was preserved within clinically acceptable imaging times. RSNA, 2011

  18. Low-cost ultra-thin broadband terahertz beam-splitter.

    PubMed

    Ung, Benjamin S-Y; Fumeaux, Christophe; Lin, Hungyen; Fischer, Bernd M; Ng, Brian W-H; Abbott, Derek

    2012-02-27

    A low-cost terahertz beam-splitter is fabricated using ultra-thin LDPE plastic sheeting coated with a conducting silver layer. The beam splitting ratio is determined as a function of the thickness of the silver layer--thus any required splitting ratio can be printed on demand with a suitable rapid prototyping technology. The low-cost aspect is a consequence of the fact that ultra-thin LDPE sheeting is readily obtainable, known more commonly as domestic plastic wrap or cling wrap. The proposed beam-splitter has numerous advantages over float zone silicon wafers commonly used within the terahertz frequency range. These advantages include low-cost, ease of handling, ultra-thin thickness, and any required beam splitting ratio can be readily fabricated. Furthermore, as the beam-splitter is ultra-thin, it presents low loss and does not suffer from Fabry-Pérot effects. Measurements performed on manufactured prototypes with different splitting ratios demonstrate a good agreement with our theoretical model in both P and S polarizations, exhibiting nearly frequency-independent splitting ratios in the terahertz frequency range.

  19. Acquisition and Early Losses of Rare Gases from the Deep Earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Porcelli, D.; Cassen, P.; Woolum, D.; Wasserburg, G. J.

    1998-01-01

    Direct observations show that the deep Earth contains rare gases of solar composition distinct from those in the atmosphere. We examine the implications of mantle rare gas characteristics on acquisition of rare gases from the solar nebula and subsequent losses due to a large impact. Deep mantle rare gas concentrations and isotopic compositions can be obtained from a model of transport and distribution of mantle rare gases. This model assumes the lower mantle closed early, while the upper mantle is open to subduction from the atmosphere and mass transfer from the lower mantle. Constraints are derived that can be incorporated into models for terrestrial volatile acquisition: (1) Calculated lower-mantle Xe-isotopic ratios indicate that the fraction of radiogenic Xe produced by I-129 and Pu-244 during the first about 10(exp 8) yr was lost, a conclusion also drawn for atmospheric Xe. Thus, either the Earth was made from materials that had lost >99% of rare gases about (0.7-2) x 10(exp 8) yr after the solar system formed, or gases were then lost from the fully formed Earth. (2) Concentrations of 3He and 20Ne in the lower mantle were established after these losses. (3) Neon-isotopic data indicates that mantle Ne has solar composition. The model allows for solar Ar/Ne and Xe/Ne in the lower mantle if a dominant fraction of upper mantle Ar and Xe are subduction-derived. If Earth formed in the presence of the solar nebula, it could have been melted by accretional energy and the blanketing effect of a massive, nebula-derived atmosphere. Gases from this atmosphere would have been sequestered within the molten Earth by dissolution at the surface and downward mixing. It was found that too much Ne would be dissolved in the Earth unless the atmosphere began to escape when the Earth was only partially assembled. Here we consider conditions required to initially dissolve sufficient rare gases to account for the present lower mantle concentrations after subsequent losses at 10(exp 8

  20. Spectroscopic identification of rare earth elements in phosphate glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Devangad, Praveen; Tamboli, Maktum; Muhammed Shameem, K. M.; Nayak, Rajesh; Patil, Ajeetkumar; Unnikrishnan, V. K.; Santhosh, C.; Kumar, G. A.

    2018-01-01

    In this work, rare earth-doped phosphate glasses were synthesized and characterized using three different spectroscopic techniques. The absorption spectra of the prepared praseodymium (Pr) and samarium (Sm) doped glasses, recorded by a UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer, show the characteristic absorption bands of these elements. To confirm this inference, laser-induced fluorescence spectra of Pr and Sm were obtained at a laser excitation of 442 nm. Their emission bands are reported here. The elemental analysis of these samples was carried out using a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system. Characteristic emission lines of Pr and Sm have been identified and reported by the recorded LIBS spectra of glass samples. Results prove that using these three complimentary spectroscopic techniques (absorption, fluorescence and LIBS), we can meaningfully characterize rare earth-doped glass samples.

  1. 75 FR 25293 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-Rare Earth...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-07

    ... Production Act of 1993--Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association Notice is hereby given that, on March..., 15 U.S.C. 4301 et seq. (``the Act''), the Rare Earth Technology Consortium (``RETC'') has filed..., the identities of the parties to the venture are: Rare Earth Industry and Tecimology Association...

  2. Rare earth elements in weathering profiles and sediments of Minnesota: Implications for provenance studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Morey, G.B.; Setterholm, D.R.

    1997-01-01

    The relative abundance of rare earth elements in sediments has been suggested as a tool for determining their source rocks. This correlation requires that weathering, erosion, and sedimentation do not alter the REE abundances, or do so in a predictable manner. We find that the rare earth elements are mobilized and fractionated by weathering, and that sediments derived from the weathered materials can display modifications of the original pattern of rare earth elements of some due to grain-size sorting of the weathered material. However, the REE distribution pattern of the provenance terrane can be recognized in the sediments.

  3. Rare Earth Extraction from NdFeB Magnet Using a Closed-Loop Acid Process.

    PubMed

    Kitagawa, Jiro; Uemura, Ryohei

    2017-08-14

    There is considerable interest in extraction of rare earth elements from NdFeB magnets to enable recycling of these elements. In practical extraction methods using wet processes, the acid waste solution discharge is a problem that must be resolved to reduce the environmental impact of the process. Here, we present an encouraging demonstration of rare earth element extraction from a NdFeB magnet using a closed-loop hydrochloric acid (HCl)-based process. The extraction method is based on corrosion of the magnet in a pretreatment stage and a subsequent ionic liquid technique for Fe extraction from the HCl solution. The rare earth elements are then precipitated using oxalic acid. Triple extraction has been conducted and the recovery ratio of the rare earth elements from the solution is approximately 50% for each extraction process, as compared to almost 100% recovery when using a one-shot extraction process without the ionic liquid but with sufficient oxalic acid. Despite its reduced extraction efficiency, the proposed method with its small number of procedures at almost room temperature is still highly advantageous in terms of both cost and environmental friendliness. This study represents an initial step towards realization of a closed-loop acid process for recycling of rare earth elements.

  4. The formation of crystals in glasses containing rare earth oxides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fadzil, Syazwani Mohd; Hrma, Pavel; Crum, Jarrod

    Korean spent nuclear fuel will reach the capacity of the available temporary storage by 2016. Pyroprocessing and direct disposal seems to be an alternative way to manage and reuse spent nuclear fuel while avoiding the wet reprocessing technology. Pyroprocessing produces several wastes streams, including metals, salts, and rare earths, which must be converted into stabilized form. A suitable form for rare earth immobilization is borosilicate glass. The borosilicate glass form exhibits excellent durability, allows a high waste loading, and is easy to process. In this work, we combined the rare earths waste of composition (in wt%) 39.2Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3}–22.7CeO{sub 2}–11.7La{submore » 2}O{sub 3}–10.9PrO{sub 2}–1.3Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3}–1.3Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}–8.1Sm{sub 2}O{sub 3}–4.8Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} with a baseline glass of composition 60.2SiO{sub 2}–16.0B{sub 2}O{sub 3}–12.6Na{sub 2}O–3.8Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–5.7CaO–1.7ZrO{sub 2}. Crystallization in waste glasses occurs as the waste loading increases. It may produce complicate glass processing and affect the product quality. To study crystal formation, we initially made glasses containing 5%, 10% and 15% of La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and then glasses with 5%, 10% and 15% of the complete rare earth mix. Samples were heat-treated for 24 hours at temperatures 800°C to 1150°C in 50°C increments. Quenched samples were analyzed using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Stillwellite (LaBSiO{sub 5}) and oxyapatite (Ca{sub 2}La{sub 8}Si{sub 6}O{sub 26}) were found in glasses containing La{sub 2}O{sub 3}, while oxyapatite (Ca{sub 2}La{sub 8}Si{sub 6}O{sub 26} and NaNd{sub 9}Si{sub 6}O{sub 26}) precipitated in glasses with additions of mixed rare earths. The liquidus temperature (T{sub L}) of the glasses containing 5%, 10% and 15% La{sub 2}O{sub 3} were 800°C, 959°C and 986°C, respectively; while T{sub L} was 825°C, 1059°C and 1267°C for

  5. U.S. trade dispute with China over rare earth elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showstack, Randy

    2012-03-01

    The U.S. government has brought a new trade case against China over rare earth elements (REE) as well as tungsten and molybdenum, President Barack Obama announced on 13 March. Japan and the European Union also have taken similar actions against China about REEs, which are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements that are used in a variety of electronic, optical, magnetic, and catalytic applications. REEs are plentiful in the Earth's crust, although China currently has about 37% of the world's reserves and accounts for more than 95% of the world's production of the elements, according to the British Geological Survey. The United States has requested consultations with China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning "China's unfair export restraints on rare earths, as well as tungsten and molybdenum," the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced in a 13 March statement.

  6. Multicomponent, Rare-Earth-Doped Thermal-Barrier Coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, Robert A.; Zhu, Dongming

    2005-01-01

    Multicomponent, rare-earth-doped, perovskite-type thermal-barrier coating materials have been developed in an effort to obtain lower thermal conductivity, greater phase stability, and greater high-temperature capability, relative to those of the prior thermal-barrier coating material of choice, which is yttria-partially stabilized zirconia. As used here, "thermal-barrier coatings" (TBCs) denotes thin ceramic layers used to insulate air-cooled metallic components of heat engines (e.g., gas turbines) from hot gases. These layers are generally fabricated by plasma spraying or physical vapor deposition of the TBC materials onto the metal components. A TBC as deposited has some porosity, which is desirable in that it reduces the thermal conductivity below the intrinsic thermal conductivity of the fully dense form of the material. Undesirably, the thermal conductivity gradually increases because the porosity gradually decreases as a consequence of sintering during high-temperature service. Because of these and other considerations such as phase transformations, the maximum allowable service temperature for yttria-partially stabilized zirconia TBCs lies in the range of about 1,200 to 1,300 C. In contrast, the present multicomponent, rare-earth-doped, perovskite-type TBCs can withstand higher temperatures.

  7. Room temperature ferromagnetism with large magnetic moment at low field in rare-earth-doped BiFeO₃ thin films.

    PubMed

    Kim, Tae-Young; Hong, Nguyen Hoa; Sugawara, T; Raghavender, A T; Kurisu, M

    2013-05-22

    Thin films of rare earth (RE)-doped BiFeO3 (where RE=Sm, Ho, Pr and Nd) were grown on LaAlO3 substrates by using the pulsed laser deposition technique. All the films show a single phase of rhombohedral structure with space group R3c. The saturated magnetization in the Ho- and Sm-doped films is much larger than the values reported in the literature, and is observed at quite a low field of 0.2 T. For Ho and Sm doping, the magnetization increases as the film becomes thinner, suggesting that the observed magnetism is mostly due to a surface effect. In the case of Nd doping, even though the thin film has a large magnetic moment, the mechanism seems to be different.

  8. GROWTH AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OF RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    SINGLE CRYSTALS, CRYSTAL GROWTH), (*CRYSTAL GROWTH, SINGLE CRYSTALS), (*RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS, SINGLE CRYSTALS), EPITAXIAL GROWTH, SODIUM COMPOUNDS, CHLORIDES, VAPOR PLATING, ELECTROSTATIC FIELDS, ENERGY, ATOMIC PROPERTIES , BONDING

  9. A rare-earth-magnet ion trap for confining low-Z, bare nuclei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brewer, Samuel M.; Tan, Joseph N.

    2009-05-01

    Simplifications in the theory for Rydberg states of hydrogenlike ions allow a substantial improvement in the accuracy of predicted levels, which can yield information on the values of fundamental constants and test theory if they can be compared with precision frequency measurements.[1] We consider the trapping of bare nuclei (fully-stripped) to be used in making Rydberg states of one-electron ions with atomic number 1< Z < 11. Numerical simulation is used here to study ion confinement in a compact, Penning-style ion trap consisting of electrodes integrated with rare-earth permanent magnets, and to model the capture of charge-state-selected ions extracted from an electron beam ion trap (EBIT). An experimental apparatus adapted to the NIST EBIT will also be discussed. Reference: [1] U.D. Jentschura, P.J. Mohr, J.N. Tan, and B.J. Wundt, ``Fundamental constants and tests of theory in Rydberg states of hydrogenlike ions,'' Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 160404 (2008).

  10. Method for preparing high cure temperature rare earth iron compound magnetic material

    DOEpatents

    Huang, Yuhong; Wei, Qiang; Zheng, Haixing

    2002-01-01

    Insertion of light elements such as H,C, or N in the R.sub.2 Fe.sub.17 (R=rare earth metal) series has been found to modify the magnetic properties of these compounds, which thus become prospective candidates for high performance permanent magnets. The most spectacular changes are increases of the Curie temperature, T.sub.c, of the magnetization, M.sub.s, and of coercivity, H.sub.c, upon interstitial insertion. A preliminary product having a component R--Fe--C,N phase is produced by a chemical route. Rare earth metal and iron amides are synthesized followed by pyrolysis and sintering in an inert or reduced atmosphere, as a result of which, the R--Fe--C,N phases are formed. Fabrication of sintered rare earth iron nitride and carbonitride bulk magnet is impossible via conventional process due to the limitation of nitridation method.

  11. Asymmetric Catalysis with bis(hydroxyphenyl)diamides/rare-earth metal complexes.

    PubMed

    Kumagai, Naoya; Shibasaki, Masakatsu

    2013-01-02

    A series of asymmetric catalysts composed of conformationally flexible amide-based chiral ligands and rare-earth metals was developed for proton-transfer catalysis. These ligands derived from amino acids provide an intriguing chiral platform for the formation of asymmetric catalysts upon complexation with rare-earth metals. The scope of this arsenal of catalysts was further broadened by the development of heterobimetallic catalytic systems. The cooperative function of hydrogen bonding and metal coordination resulted in intriguing substrate specificity and stereocontrol, and the dynamic nature of the catalysts led to a switch of their function. Herein, we summarize our recent exploration of this class of catalysts. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. A study on artificial rare earth (RE2O3) based neutron absorber.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyung-O; Kyung Kim, Jong

    2015-11-01

    A new concept of a neutron absorption material (i.e., an artificial rare earth compound) was introduced for criticality control in a spent fuel storage system. In particular, spent nuclear fuels were considered as a potential source of rare earth elements because the nuclear fission of uranium produces a full range of nuclides. It was also found that an artificial rare earth compound (RE2O3) as a High-Level Waste (HLW) was naturally extracted from pyroprocessing technology developed for recovering uranium and transuranic elements (TRU) from spent fuels. In this study, various characteristics (e.g., activity, neutron absorption cross-section) were analyzed for validating the application possibility of this waste compound as a neutron absorption material. As a result, the artificial rare earth compound had a higher neutron absorption probability in the entire energy range, and it can be used for maintaining sub-criticality for more than 40 years on the basis of the neutron absorption capability of Boral™. Therefore, this approach is expected to vastly improve the efficiency of radioactive waste management by simultaneously keeping HLW and spent nuclear fuel in a restricted space. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Recovery of rare earth elements from the sulfothermophilic red alga Galdieria sulphuraria using aqueous acid.

    PubMed

    Minoda, Ayumi; Sawada, Hitomi; Suzuki, Sonoe; Miyashita, Shin-ichi; Inagaki, Kazumi; Yamamoto, Takaiku; Tsuzuki, Mikio

    2015-02-01

    The demand for rare earth elements has increased dramatically in recent years because of their numerous industrial applications, and considerable research efforts have consequently been directed toward recycling these materials. The accumulation of metals in microorganisms is a low-cost and environmentally friendly method for the recovery of metals present in the environment at low levels. Numerous metals, including rare earth elements, can be readily dissolved in aqueous acid, but the efficiency of metal biosorption is usually decreased under the acidic conditions. In this report, we have investigated the use of the sulfothermophilic red alga Galdieria sulphuraria for the recovery of metals, with particular emphasis on the recovery of rare earth metals. Of the five different growth conditions investigated where G. sulphuraria could undergo an adaptation process, Nd(III), Dy(III), and Cu(II) were efficiently recovered from a solution containing a mixture of different metals under semi-anaerobic heterotrophic condition at a pH of 2.5. G. sulphuraria also recovered Nd(III), Dy(III), La(III), and Cu(II) with greater than 90% efficiency at a concentration of 0.5 ppm. The efficiency remained unchanged at pH values in the range of 1.5-2.5. Furthermore, at pH values in the range of 1.0-1.5, the lanthanoid ions were collected much more efficiently into the cell fractions than Cu(II) and therefore successfully separated from the Cu(II) dissolved in the aqueous acid. Microscope observation of the cells using alizarin red suggested that the metals were accumulating inside of the cells. Experiments using dead cells suggested that this phenomenon was a biological process involving specific activities within the cells.

  14. Production yield of rare-earth ions implanted into an optical crystal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kornher, Thomas, E-mail: t.kornher@physik.uni-stuttgart.de; Xia, Kangwei; Kolesov, Roman

    2016-02-01

    Rare-earth (RE) ions doped into desired locations of optical crystals might enable a range of novel integrated photonic devices for quantum applications. With this aim, we have investigated the production yield of cerium and praseodymium by means of ion implantation. As a measure, the collected fluorescence intensity from both implanted samples and single centers was used. With a tailored annealing procedure for cerium, a yield up to 53% was estimated. Praseodymium yield amounts up to 91%. Such high implantation yield indicates a feasibility of creation of nanopatterned rare-earth doping and suggests strong potential of RE species for on-chip photonic devices.

  15. CONDUCTION ELECTRON-MAGNETIC ION INTERACTION IN RARE EARTHS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, G.S.; Legvold, S.

    1958-11-01

    The proposal is maade that there is an additional effective electron- electron interaction in the rare earths which results from the conduction electron-magnetic ion exchange. The strength of the net electron-electron interaction should tnen be expected to be a function of spin as well as solute concentrations. (W.D.M.)

  16. Ultra Low Outgassing silicone performance in a simulated space ionizing radiation environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velderrain, M.; Malave, V.; Taylor, E. W.

    2010-09-01

    The improvement of silicone-based materials used in space and aerospace environments has garnered much attention for several decades. Most recently, an Ultra Low Outgassing™ silicone incorporating innovative reinforcing and functional fillers has shown that silicone elastomers with unique and specific properties can be developed to meet applications requiring stringent outgassing requirements. This paper will report on the next crucial step in qualifying these materials for spacecraft applications requiring chemical and physical stability in the presence of ionizing radiation. As a first step in this process, selected materials were irradiated with Co-60 gamma-rays to simulate the total dose received in near- Earth orbits. The paper will present pre-and post-irradiation response data of Ultra Low Outgassing silicone samples exposed under ambient air environment coupled with measurements of collected volatile condensable material (CVCM) and total mass loss (TML) per the standard conditions in ASTM E 595. The data will show an insignificant effect on the CVCMs and TMLs after exposure to various dosages of gamma radiation. This data may favorably impact new applications for these silicone materials for use as an improved sealant for space solar cell systems, space structures, satellite systems and aerospace systems.

  17. Critical Rare Earths, National Security, and U.S.-China Interactions: A Portfolio Approach to Dysprosium Policy Design

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-01

    by the graduate fellow’s faculty committee. C O R P O R A T I O N Dissertation Critical Rare Earths, National Security, and U.S.-China Interactions A...Portfolio Approach to Dysprosium Policy Design David L. An Dissertation Critical Rare Earths, National Security, and U.S.-China Interactions A...Permanent Magnet ................................................ xxiv Dysprosium, the Most Critical Rare Earth

  18. Application of Freeze-Dried Powders of Genetically Engineered Microbial Strains as Adsorbents for Rare Earth Metal Ions.

    PubMed

    Moriwaki, Hiroshi; Masuda, Reiko; Yamazaki, Yuki; Horiuchi, Kaoru; Miyashita, Mari; Kasahara, Jun; Tanaka, Tatsuhito; Yamamoto, Hiroki

    2016-10-12

    The adsorption behaviors of the rare earth metal ions onto freeze-dried powders of genetically engineered microbial strains were compared. Cell powders obtained from four kinds of strains, Bacillus subtilis 168 wild type (WT), lipoteichoic acid-defective (ΔLTA), wall teichoic acid-defective (ΔWTA), and cell wall hydrolases-defective (EFKYOJLp) strains, were used as an adsorbent of the rare earth metal ions at pH 3. The adsorption ability of the rare earth metal ions was in the order of EFKYOJLp > WT > ΔLTA > ΔWTA. The order was the same as the order of the phosphorus quantity of the strains. This result indicates that the main adsorption sites for the ions are the phosphate groups and the teichoic acids, LTA and WTA, that contribute to the adsorption of the rare earth metal ions onto the cell walls. The contribution of WTA was clearly greater than that of LTA. Each microbial powder was added to a solution containing 16 kinds of rare earth metal ions, and the removals (%) of each rare earth metal ion were obtained. The scandium ion showed the highest removal (%), while that of the lanthanum ion was the lowest for all the microbial powders. Differences in the distribution coefficients between the kinds of lanthanide ions by the EFKYOJLp and ΔWTA powders were greater than those of the other strains. Therefore, the EFKYOJLp and ΔWTA powders could be applicable for the selective extraction of the lanthanide ions. The ΔLTA powder coagulated by mixing with a rare earth metal ion, although no sedimentation of the WT or ΔWTA powder with a rare earth metal ion was observed under the same conditions. The EFKYOJLp powder was also coagulated, but its flocculating activity was lower than that of ΔLTA. The ΔLTA and EFKYOJLp powders have a long shape compared to those of the WT or ΔWTA strain. The shapes of the cells will play an important role in the sedimentation of the microbial powders with rare earth metal ions. As the results, three kinds of the genetically

  19. Pressure and temperature induced elastic properties of rare earth chalcogenides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shriya, S.; Sapkale, R., E-mail: sapkale.raju@rediffmail.com; Varshney, Dinesh, E-mail: vdinesh33@rediffmail.com

    2016-05-06

    The pressure and temperature dependent mechanical properties as Young modulus, Thermal expansion coefficient of rare earth REX (RE = La, Pr, Eu; X = O, S, Se, and Te) chalcogenides are studied. The rare earth chalcogenides showed a structural phase transition (B1–B2). Pressure dependence of Young modulus discerns an increase in pressure inferring the hardening or stiffening of the lattice as a consequence of bond compression and bond strengthening. Suppressed Young modulus as functions of temperature infers the weakening of the lattice results in bond weakening in REX. Thermal expansion coefficient demonstrates that REX (RE = La, Pr, Eu; Xmore » = O, S, Se, and Te) chalcogenides is mechanically stiffened, and thermally softened on applied pressure and temperature.« less

  20. Rare-Earth Activated Nitride Phosphors: Synthesis, Luminescence and Applications

    PubMed Central

    Xie, Rong-Jun; Hirosaki, Naoto; Li, Yuanqiang; Takeda, Takashi

    2010-01-01

    Nitridosilicates are structurally built up on three-dimensional SiN4 tetrahedral networks, forming a very interesting class of materials with high thermomechanical properties, hardness, and wide band gap. Traditionally, nitridosilicates are often used as structural materials such as abrasive particles, cutting tools, turbine blade, etc. Recently, the luminescence of rare earth doped nitridosilicates has been extensively studied, and a novel family of luminescent materials has been developed. This paper reviews the synthesis, luminescence and applications of nitridosilicate phosphors, with emphasis on rare earth nitrides in the system of M-Si-Al-O-N (M = Li, Ca, Sr, Ba, La) and their applications in white LEDs. These phosphors exhibit interesting luminescent properties, such as red-shifted excitation and emission, small Stokes shift, small thermal quenching, and high conversion efficiency, enabling them to use as down-conversion luminescent materials in white LEDs with tunable color temperature and high color rendering index.

  1. Rare-earth magnet ingestion: a childhood danger reaches adolescence.

    PubMed

    Agha, Beesan Shalabi; Sturm, Jesse J; Costello, Brian E

    2013-10-01

    Ingestion of multiple magnets may cause serious gastrointestinal morbidity, such as pressure necrosis, perforation, fistula formation, or intestinal obstruction due to forceful attraction across bowel wall. Although the consequences of multiple magnet ingestion are well documented in young children, the current popularity of small, powerful rare-earth magnets marketed as "desk toys" has heightened this safety concern in all pediatric age groups. A recent US Consumer Product Safety Commission product-wide warning additionally reports the adolescent practice of using toy high-powered, ball-bearing magnets to simulate tongue and lip piercings, a behavior that may increase risk of inadvertent ingestion. We describe 2 cases of older children (male; aged 10 and 13 years, respectively) with unintentional ingestion of multiple rare-earth magnets. Health care providers should be alerted to the potential for misuse of these high-powered, ball-bearing magnets among older children and adolescents.

  2. Ultra-Tuning of the Rare-Earth fcu-MOF Aperture Size for Selective Molecular Exclusion of Branched Paraffins.

    PubMed

    Assen, Ayalew H; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Adil, Karim; Bhatt, Prashant M; Xue, Dong-Xu; Jiang, Hao; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2015-11-23

    Using isoreticular chemistry allows the design and construction of a new rare-earth metal (RE) fcu-MOF with a suitable aperture size for practical steric adsorptive separations. The judicious choice of a relatively short organic building block, namely fumarate, to bridge the 12-connected RE hexanuclear clusters has afforded the contraction of the well-defined RE-fcu-MOF triangular window aperture, the sole access to the two interconnected octahedral and tetrahedral cages. The newly constructed RE (Y(3+) and Tb(3+)) fcu-MOF analogues display unprecedented total exclusion of branched paraffins from normal paraffins. The resultant window aperture size of about 4.7 Å, regarded as a sorbate-size cut-off, enabled a complete sieving of branched paraffins from normal paraffins. The results are supported by collective single gas and mixed gas/vapor adsorption and calorimetric studies. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Structural and Crystal Chemical Properties of Alkali Rare-earth Double Phosphates

    DOE PAGES

    Farmer, James Matthew; Boatner, Lynn A.; Chakoumakos, Bryan C.; ...

    2016-01-01

    When appropriately activated, alkali rare-earth double phosphates of the form: M 3RE(PO 4) 2 (where M denotes an alkali metal and RE represents either a rare-earth element or Y or Sc) are of interest for use as inorganic scintillators for radiation detection at relatively long optical emission wavelengths. These compounds exhibit layered crystal structures whose symmetry properties depend on the relative sizes of the rare-earth and alkali-metal cations. Single-crystal X-ray and powder neutron diffraction methods were used here to refine the structures of the series of rare-earth double phosphate compounds: K 3RE(PO 4) 2 with RE = Lu, Er, Ho,more » Dy, Gd, Nd, Ce, plus Y and Sc - as well as the compounds: A 3Lu(PO 4) 2, with A = Rb, and Cs. The double phosphate K 3Lu(PO 4) 2 was reported and structurally refined previously. This material had a hexagonal unit cell at room temperature with the Lu ion six-fold coordinated with oxygen atoms of the surrounding phosphate groups. Additionally two lower-temperature phases were observed for K 3Lu(PO 4) 2. The first phase transition to a monoclinic P21/m phase occurred at ~230 K, and the Lu ion retained its six-fold coordination. The second K 3Lu(PO 4) 2 phase transition occurred at ~130 K. The P21/m space group symmetry was retained, however, one of the phosphate groups rotated to increase the oxygen coordination number of Lu from six to seven. This structure then became isostructural with the room-temperature form of the compound K 3Yb(PO 4) 2 reported here that also exhibits an additional high-temperature phase which occurs at T = 120 °C with a transformation to hexagonal P-3 space group symmetry and a Yb-ion coordination number reduction from seven to six. This latter result was confirmed using EXAFS. The single-crystal growth methods structural systematics, and thermal expansion properties of the present series of alkali rare-earth double phosphates, as determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction methods, are treated

  4. Structural and Crystal Chemical Properties of Alkali Rare-earth Double Phosphates

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Farmer, James Matthew; Boatner, Lynn A.; Chakoumakos, Bryan C.

    When appropriately activated, alkali rare-earth double phosphates of the form: M 3RE(PO 4) 2 (where M denotes an alkali metal and RE represents either a rare-earth element or Y or Sc) are of interest for use as inorganic scintillators for radiation detection at relatively long optical emission wavelengths. These compounds exhibit layered crystal structures whose symmetry properties depend on the relative sizes of the rare-earth and alkali-metal cations. Single-crystal X-ray and powder neutron diffraction methods were used here to refine the structures of the series of rare-earth double phosphate compounds: K 3RE(PO 4) 2 with RE = Lu, Er, Ho,more » Dy, Gd, Nd, Ce, plus Y and Sc - as well as the compounds: A 3Lu(PO 4) 2, with A = Rb, and Cs. The double phosphate K 3Lu(PO 4) 2 was reported and structurally refined previously. This material had a hexagonal unit cell at room temperature with the Lu ion six-fold coordinated with oxygen atoms of the surrounding phosphate groups. Additionally two lower-temperature phases were observed for K 3Lu(PO 4) 2. The first phase transition to a monoclinic P21/m phase occurred at ~230 K, and the Lu ion retained its six-fold coordination. The second K 3Lu(PO 4) 2 phase transition occurred at ~130 K. The P21/m space group symmetry was retained, however, one of the phosphate groups rotated to increase the oxygen coordination number of Lu from six to seven. This structure then became isostructural with the room-temperature form of the compound K 3Yb(PO 4) 2 reported here that also exhibits an additional high-temperature phase which occurs at T = 120 °C with a transformation to hexagonal P-3 space group symmetry and a Yb-ion coordination number reduction from seven to six. This latter result was confirmed using EXAFS. The single-crystal growth methods structural systematics, and thermal expansion properties of the present series of alkali rare-earth double phosphates, as determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction methods, are treated

  5. Magnetic interactions in new fluorite-related rare earth oxides LnLn’{sub 2}RuO{sub 7} (Ln, Ln’=rare earths)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hinatsu, Yukio, E-mail: hinatsu@sci.hokudai.ac.jp; Doi, Yoshihiro

    2016-07-15

    New fluorite-related quaternary rare earth oxides Pr{sub 2}YRuO{sub 7} and La{sub 2}TbRuO{sub 7} have been prepared. They crystallize in an orthorhombic superstructure of cubic fluorite with space group Cmcm. Through magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements, Pr{sub 2}YRuO{sub 7} shows an antiferromagnetic transition at 27 K, which is considerably lowered compared with that for Pr{sub 3}RuO{sub 7}. Analysis of the magnetic specific heat indicates that the magnetic behavior observed at 27 K for Pr{sub 2}YRuO{sub 7} is predominantly due to the magnetic interactions between Ru ions, and that the interactions between the Pr{sup 3+} and Ru{sup 5+} ions are alsomore » important. La{sub 2}TbRuO{sub 7} shows magnetic ordering at 9.0 K, which is ascribed to the magnetic ordering between Ru{sup 5+} ions from the analysis of the magnetic specific heat data. - Graphical abstract: New fluorite-related quaternary rare earth oxides Pr{sub 2}YRuO{sub 7} and La{sub 2}TbRuO{sub 7} have been prepared. Through magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements, Pr{sub 2}YRuO{sub 7} and La{sub 2}TbRuO{sub 7} show an antiferromagnetic transition at 27 and 9.0 K, respectively. Display Omitted - Highlights: • New fluorite-related quaternary rare earth oxides LnLn’{sub 2}RuO{sub 7} have been prepared. • Pr{sub 2}YRuO{sub 7} shows an antiferromagnetic transition at 27 K. • La{sub 2}TbRuO{sub 7} shows magnetic ordering at 9.0 K. • Their magnetic exchange mechanism has been elucidated by the magnetic entropy change.« less

  6. [Spectroscopic Research on Slag Nanocrystal Glass Ceramics Containing Rare Earth Elements].

    PubMed

    Ouyang, Shun-li; Li, Bao-wei; Zhang, Xue-feng; Jia, Xiao-lin; Zhao, Ming; Deng, Lei-bo

    2015-08-01

    The research group prepared the high-performance slag nanocrystal glass ceramics by utilizing the valuable elements of the wastes in the Chinese Bayan Obo which are characterized by their symbiotic or associated existence. In this paper, inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (Raman) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are all used in the depth analysis for the composition and structure of the samples. The experiment results of ICP, XRD and SEM showed that the principal crystalline phase of the slag nanocrystal glass ceramics containing rare earth elements is diopside, its grain size ranges from 45 to 100 nm, the elements showed in the SEM scan are basically in consistent with the component analysis of ICP. Raman analysis indicated that its amorphous phase is a three-dimensional network structure composed by the structural unit of silicon-oxy tetrahedron with different non-bridging oxygen bonds. According to the further analysis, we found that the rare earth microelement has significant effect on the network structure. Compared the nanocrystal slag glass ceramic with the glass ceramics of similar ingredients, we found that generally, the Raman band wavenumber for the former is lower than the later. The composition difference between the glass ceramics and the slag nanocrystal with the similar ingredients mainly lies on the rare earth elements and other trace elements. Therefore, we think that the rare earth elements and other trace elements remains in the slag nanocrystal glass ceramics have a significant effect on the network structure of amorphous phase. The research method of this study provides an approach for the relationship among the composition, structure and performance of the glass ceramics.

  7. Recovery of rare earths from spent NdFeB magnets of wind turbine: Leaching and kinetic aspects.

    PubMed

    Kumari, Aarti; Sinha, Manish Kumar; Pramanik, Swati; Sahu, Sushanta Kumar

    2018-05-01

    Increasing demands of rare earth (RE) metals for advanced technological applications coupled with the scarcity of primary resources have led to the development of processes to treat secondary resources like scraps or end of life products that are often rich in such metals. Spent NdFeB magnet may serve as a potential source of rare earths containing around ∼30% of neodymium and other rare earths. In the present investigation, a pyro-hydrometallurgical process has been developed to recover rare earth elements (Nd, Pr and Dy) from the spent wind turbine magnet. The spent magnet is demagnetized and roasted at 1123 K to convert rare earths and iron to their respective oxides. Roasting of the magnet not only provides selectivity, but enhances the leaching efficiency also. The leaching of the roasted sample with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid at 368 K, 100 g/L pulp density and 500 rpm for 300 min selectively recovers the rare earth elements almost quantitatively leaving iron oxide in the residue. Leaching of rare earth elements with hydrochloric acid follows the mixed controlled kinetic model with activation energy (E a ) of 30.1 kJ/mol in the temperature range 348-368 K. The leaching mechanism is further established by characterizing the leach residues obtained at different time intervals by scanning electron microscopy- energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Individual rare earth elements from the leach solution containing 16.8 g/L of Nd, 3.8 g/L Pr, 0.28 g/L of Dy and other minor impurity elements could be separated by solvent extraction. However, mixed rare earth oxide of 99% purity was produced by oxalate precipitation followed by roasting. The leach residue comprising of pure hematite has a potential to be used as pigment or can find other applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Crystal-field splittings in rare-earth-based hard magnets: An ab initio approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delange, Pascal; Biermann, Silke; Miyake, Takashi; Pourovskii, Leonid

    2017-10-01

    We apply the first-principles density functional theory + dynamical mean-field theory framework to evaluate the crystal-field splitting on rare-earth sites in hard magnetic intermetallics. An atomic (Hubbard-I) approximation is employed for local correlations on the rare-earth 4 f shell and self-consistency in the charge density is implemented. We reduce the density functional theory self-interaction contribution to the crystal-field splitting by properly averaging the 4 f charge density before recalculating the one-electron Kohn-Sham potential. Our approach is shown to reproduce the experimental crystal-field splitting in the prototypical rare-earth hard magnet SmCo5. Applying it to R Fe12 and R Fe12X hard magnets (R =Nd , Sm and X =N , Li), we obtain in particular a large positive value of the crystal-field parameter A20〈r2〉 in NdFe12N resulting in a strong out-of-plane anisotropy observed experimentally. The sign of A20〈r2〉 is predicted to be reversed by substituting N with Li, leading to a strong out-of-plane anisotropy in SmFe12Li . We discuss the origin of this strong impact of N and Li interstitials on the crystal-field splitting on rare-earth sites.

  9. High pressure phase transitions in the rare earth metal erbium to 151 GPa.

    PubMed

    Samudrala, Gopi K; Thomas, Sarah A; Montgomery, Jeffrey M; Vohra, Yogesh K

    2011-08-10

    High pressure x-ray diffraction studies have been performed on the heavy rare earth metal erbium (Er) in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature to a pressure of 151 GPa and Er has been compressed to 40% of its initial volume. The rare earth crystal structure sequence hcp → Sm type → dhcp → distorted fcc (hcp: hexagonal close packed; fcc: face centered cubic; dhcp: double hcp) is observed in Er below 58 GPa. We have carried out Rietveld refinement of crystal structures in the pressure range between 58 GPa and 151 GPa. We have examined various crystal structures that have been proposed for the distorted fcc (dfcc) phase and the post-dfcc phase in rare earth metals. We find that the hexagonal hR 24 structure is the best fit between 58 and 118 GPa. Above 118 GPa, a structural transformation from hR 24 phase to a monoclinic C 2/m phase is observed with a volume change of - 1.9%. We have also established a clear trend for the pressure at which a post-dfcc phase is formed in rare earth metals and show that there is a monotonic increase in this pressure with the filling of 4f shell.

  10. High pressure phase transitions in the rare earth metal erbium to 151 GPa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samudrala, Gopi K.; Thomas, Sarah A.; Montgomery, Jeffrey M.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

    2011-08-01

    High pressure x-ray diffraction studies have been performed on the heavy rare earth metal erbium (Er) in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature to a pressure of 151 GPa and Er has been compressed to 40% of its initial volume. The rare earth crystal structure sequence {hcp} \\to {Sm}~ {type} \\to {dhcp} \\to {distorted} fcc (hcp: hexagonal close packed; fcc: face centered cubic; dhcp: double hcp) is observed in Er below 58 GPa. We have carried out Rietveld refinement of crystal structures in the pressure range between 58 GPa and 151 GPa. We have examined various crystal structures that have been proposed for the distorted fcc (dfcc) phase and the post-dfcc phase in rare earth metals. We find that the hexagonal hR 24 structure is the best fit between 58 and 118 GPa. Above 118 GPa, a structural transformation from hR 24 phase to a monoclinic C 2/m phase is observed with a volume change of - 1.9%. We have also established a clear trend for the pressure at which a post-dfcc phase is formed in rare earth metals and show that there is a monotonic increase in this pressure with the filling of 4f shell.

  11. Deep-sea mud in the Pacific Ocean as a potential resource for rare-earth elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kato, Yasuhiro; Fujinaga, Koichiro; Nakamura, Kentaro; Takaya, Yutaro; Kitamura, Kenichi; Ohta, Junichiro; Toda, Ryuichi; Nakashima, Takuya; Iwamori, Hikaru

    2011-08-01

    World demand for rare-earth elements and the metal yttrium--which are crucial for novel electronic equipment and green-energy technologies--is increasing rapidly. Several types of seafloor sediment harbour high concentrations of these elements. However, seafloor sediments have not been regarded as a rare-earth element and yttrium resource, because data on the spatial distribution of these deposits are insufficient. Here, we report measurements of the elemental composition of over 2,000 seafloor sediments, sampled at depth intervals of around one metre, at 78 sites that cover a large part of the Pacific Ocean. We show that deep-sea mud contains high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium at numerous sites throughout the eastern South and central North Pacific. We estimate that an area of just one square kilometre, surrounding one of the sampling sites, could provide one-fifth of the current annual world consumption of these elements. Uptake of rare-earth elements and yttrium by mineral phases such as hydrothermal iron-oxyhydroxides and phillipsite seems to be responsible for their high concentration. We show that rare-earth elements and yttrium are readily recovered from the mud by simple acid leaching, and suggest that deep-sea mud constitutes a highly promising huge resource for these elements.

  12. The Link Between Rare-Earth Peak Formation and the Astrophysical Site of the R Process

    DOE PAGES

    Mumpower, Matthew R.; McLaughlin, Gail C.; Surman, Rebecca; ...

    2016-12-20

    The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process (r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r-process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. Here, we introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β-decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditions typical ofmore » hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. Finally, for each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.« less

  13. The Link Between Rare-Earth Peak Formation and the Astrophysical Site of the R Process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mumpower, Matthew R.; McLaughlin, Gail C.; Surman, Rebecca

    The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process (r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r-process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. Here, we introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β-decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditions typical ofmore » hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. Finally, for each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.« less

  14. THE LINK BETWEEN RARE-EARTH PEAK FORMATION AND THE ASTROPHYSICAL SITE OF THE R PROCESS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mumpower, Matthew R.; McLaughlin, Gail C.; Surman, Rebecca

    The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process ( r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r -process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. We introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β -decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditionsmore » typical of hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. For each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.« less

  15. Rare Earth Doped GaN Laser Structures Using Metal Modulated Epitaxy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-30

    from Eu-doped GaN,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 75, pp. 1189–1191, 1999. 24. D. S . Lee and A. J. Steckl, “Room-temperature-grown rare- earth -doped GaN...luminescent thin films,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 79, pp. 1962–1964,2001. 25. D. S . Lee and A. J. Steckl, “Lateral color integration on rare- earth doped... s . 0.259nm/ s =1.14E13cm-2/ s =1 ML/ s .Our plasma source was optimized to work at 1.5 sccm and 230 W RF power and it provides a growth rate of 0.8 ML/ s

  16. Restoration of rare earth mine areas: organic amendments and phytoremediation.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Lingyan; Li, Zhaolong; Liu, Wen; Liu, Shenghong; Zhang, Limin; Zhong, Liyan; Luo, Ximei; Liang, Hong

    2015-11-01

    Overexploitation of rare earth mine has caused serious desertification and various environmental issues, and ecological restoration of a mining area is an important concern in China. In this study, experiments involving dry grass landfilling, chicken manure broadcasting, and plant cultivation were carried out to reclaim a rare earth mine area located in Heping County, Guangdong Province, China. The prime focus was to improve soil quality in terms of nutrients, microbial community, enzyme activity, and physicochemical properties so as to reclaim the land. After 2 years of restoration, an increase of organic matter (OM), available potassium (K), available phosphorus (P) levels, and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity and a reduction of the available nitrogen (N) level and urease (URE) activity in soil were achieved compared to the original mined land. The nutrients and enzyme activities in soil with 5 years of restoration were close to or surpass those in the unexploited land as control. The bulk density, total porosity, water holding capacity, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) of soil were improved, and the number of cultivable microorganisms and the bacterial diversity in soil were greatly increased with time during ecological restoration, especially for surface soil. Furthermore, the artificial vegetation stably grew at the restored mining sites. The results indicated that organic amendments and phytoremediation could ecologically restore the rare earth mining sites and the mined land could finally be planted as farmland.

  17. Ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone restores the thermal threshold of morphine tolerant rats.

    PubMed

    Chou, Kuang-Yi; Tsai, Ru-Yin; Tsai, Wei-Yuan; Wu, Ching-Tang; Yeh, Chun-Chang; Cherng, Chen-Hwan; Wong, Chih-Shung

    2013-12-01

    As known, long-term morphine infusion leads to tolerance. We previously demonstrated that both co-infusion and post-administration of ultra-low dose (±)-naloxone restores the antinociceptive effect of morphine in morphine-tolerant rats. However, whether the mechanism of the action of ultra-low dose (±)-naloxone is through opioid receptors or not. Therefore, in the present study, we further investigated the effect of ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone, it does not bind to opioid receptors, on the antinociceptive effect of morphine. Male Wistar rats were implanted with one or two intrathecal (i.t.) catheters; one catheter was connected to a mini-osmotic pump, used for morphine (15 μg/h), ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone (15 pg/h), morphine plus ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone (15 pg/h) or saline (1 μl/h) infusion for 5 days. On day 5, either ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone (15 pg) or saline (5 μl) was injected via the other catheter immediately after discontinued morphine or saline infusion. Three hours later, morphine (15 μg in 5 μl saline) or saline were given intrathecally. All rats received nociceptive tail-flick test every 30 minutes for 120 minutes after morphine challenge at different temperature (45-52°C, respective). Our results showed that, both co-infusion and post-treatment of ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone with morphine preserves the antinociceptive effect of morphine. Moreover, in the post administration rats, ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone further enhances the antinociceptive effect of morphine. This study provides an evidence for ultra-low dose (+)-naloxone as a therapeutic adjuvant for patients who need long-term opioid administration for pain management. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Voltage Control of Rare-Earth Magnetic Moments at the Magnetic-Insulator-Metal Interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leon, Alejandro O.; Cahaya, Adam B.; Bauer, Gerrit E. W.

    2018-01-01

    The large spin-orbit interaction in the lanthanides implies a strong coupling between their internal charge and spin degrees of freedom. We formulate the coupling between the voltage and the local magnetic moments of rare-earth atoms with a partially filled 4 f shell at the interface between an insulator and a metal. The rare-earth-mediated torques allow the power-efficient control of spintronic devices by electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance and magnetization switching.

  19. An ultra-low-power filtering technique for biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Tan-Tan; Mak, Pui-In; Vai, Mang-I; Mak, Peng-Un; Wan, Feng; Martins, R P

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes an ultra-low-power filtering technique for biomedical applications designated as T-wave sensing in heart-activities detection systems. The topology is based on a source-follower-based Biquad operating in the sub-threshold region. With the intrinsic advantages of simplicity and high linearity of the source-follower, ultra-low-cutoff filtering can be achieved, simultaneously with ultra low power and good linearity. An 8(th)-order 2.4-Hz lowpass filter design example optimized in a 0.35-μm CMOS process was designed achieving over 85-dB dynamic range, 74-dB stopband attenuation and consuming only 0.36 nW at a 3-V supply.

  20. Contributed Review: A review of the investigation of rare-earth dopant profiles in optical fibers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sidiroglou, F.; Baxter, G.; Roberts, A.

    Rare-earth doped optical fibers have captivated the interest of many researchers around the world across the past three decades. The growth of this research field has been stimulated primarily through their application in optical communications as fiber lasers and amplifiers, although rare-earth doped optical fiber based devices are now finding important uses in many other scientific and industrial areas (for example, medicine, sensing, the military, and material processing). Such wide commercial interest has provided a strong incentive for innovative fiber designs, alternative glass compositions, and novel fabrication processes. A prerequisite for the ongoing progress of this research field is developingmore » the capacity to provide high resolution information about the rare-earth dopant distribution profiles within the optical fibers. This paper constitutes a comprehensive review of the imaging techniques that have been utilized in the analysis of the distribution of the rare-earth ion erbium within the core of optical fibers.« less

  1. Reversing Conventional Reactivity of Mixed Oxo/Alkyl Rare-Earth Complexes: Non-Redox Oxygen Atom Transfer.

    PubMed

    Hong, Jianquan; Tian, Haiwen; Zhang, Lixin; Zhou, Xigeng; Del Rosal, Iker; Weng, Linhong; Maron, Laurent

    2018-01-22

    The preferential substitution of oxo ligands over alkyl ones of rare-earth complexes is commonly considered as "impossible" due to the high oxophilicity of metal centers. Now, it has been shown that simply assembling mixed methyl/oxo rare-earth complexes to a rigid trinuclear cluster framework cannot only enhance the activity of the Ln-oxo bond, but also protect the highly reactive Ln-alkyl bond, thus providing a previously unrecognized opportunity to selectively manipulate the oxo ligand in the presence of numerous reactive functionalities. Such trimetallic cluster has proved to be a suitable platform for developing the unprecedented non-redox rare-earth-mediated oxygen atom transfer from ketones to CS 2 and PhNCS. Controlled experiments and computational studies shed light on the driving force for these reactions, emphasizing the importance of the sterical accessibility and multimetallic effect of the cluster framework in promoting reversal of reactivity of rare-earth oxo complexes. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Contributed Review: A review of the investigation of rare-earth dopant profiles in optical fibers.

    PubMed

    Sidiroglou, F; Roberts, A; Baxter, G

    2016-04-01

    Rare-earth doped optical fibers have captivated the interest of many researchers around the world across the past three decades. The growth of this research field has been stimulated primarily through their application in optical communications as fiber lasers and amplifiers, although rare-earth doped optical fiber based devices are now finding important uses in many other scientific and industrial areas (for example, medicine, sensing, the military, and material processing). Such wide commercial interest has provided a strong incentive for innovative fiber designs, alternative glass compositions, and novel fabrication processes. A prerequisite for the ongoing progress of this research field is developing the capacity to provide high resolution information about the rare-earth dopant distribution profiles within the optical fibers. This paper constitutes a comprehensive review of the imaging techniques that have been utilized in the analysis of the distribution of the rare-earth ion erbium within the core of optical fibers.

  3. Factors and competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining, new methodology: case study from Brazil.

    PubMed

    Silva, Gustavo A; Petter, Carlos O; Albuquerque, Nelson R

    2018-03-01

    Rare earths are increasingly being applied in high-tech industries, such as green energy (e.g. wind power), hybrid cars, electric cars, permanent high-performance magnets, superconductors, luminophores and many other industrial sectors involved in modern technologies. Given that China dominates this market and imposes restrictions on production and exports whenever opportunities arise, it is becoming more and more challenging to develop business ventures in this sector. Several initiatives were taken to prospect new resources and develop the production chain, including the mining of these mineral assets around the world, but some factors of uncertainties, including current low prices, increased the challenge of transforming the current resources into deposits or productive mines. Thus, analyzing the competitiveness of advanced projects becomes indispensable. This work has the objective of introducing a new methodology of competitiveness analysis, where some variables are considered as main factors that can contribute strongly to make unfeasible a mining enterprise for the use of rare earth elements (REE) with this methodology, which is quite practical and reproducible, it was possible to verify some real facts, such as: the fact that the Lynas Mount Weld CLD (AUS) Project is resilient to the uncertainties of the RE sector, at the same time as the Molycorp Project is facing major financial difficulties (under judicial reorganization). It was also possible to verify that the Araxá Project of CBMM in Brazil is one of the most competitive in this country. Thus, we contribute to the existing literature, providing a new methodology for competitiveness analysis in rare earth mining.

  4. Rapid Evaluation of Radioactive Contamination in Rare Earth Mine Mining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, N.

    2017-12-01

    In order to estimate the current levels of environmental radioactivity in Bayan Obo rare earth mine and to study the rapid evaluation methods of radioactivity contamination in the rare earth mine, the surveys of the in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry and gamma dose rate measurement were carried out around the mining area and living area. The in-situ gamma-ray spectrometer was composed of a scintillation detector of NaI(Tl) (Φ75mm×75mm) and a multichannel analyzer. Our survey results in Bayan Obo Mine display: (1) Thorium-232 is the radioactive contamination source of this region, and uranium-238 and potassium - 40 is at the background level. (2) The average content of thorium-232 in the slag of the tailings dam in Bayan Obo is as high as 276 mg/kg, which is 37 times as the global average value of thorium content. (3) We found that the thorium-232 content in the soil in the living area near the mining is higher than that in the local soil in Guyang County. The average thorium-232 concentrations in the mining areas of the Bayan Obo Mine and the living areas of the Bayan Obo Town were 18.7±7.5 and 26.2±9.1 mg/kg, respectively. (4) It was observed that thorium-232 was abnormal distributed in the contaminated area near the tailings dam. Our preliminary research results show that the in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry is an effective approach of fast evaluating rare earths radioactive pollution, not only can the scene to determine the types of radioactive contamination source, but also to measure the radioactivity concentration of thorium and uranium in soil. The environmental radioactive evaluation of rare earth ore and tailings dam in open-pit mining is also needed. The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41674111).

  5. High-T sub c thin films on low microwave loss alkaline-rare-earth-aluminate crystals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sobolewski, R.; Gierlowski, P.; Kula, W.

    1991-03-01

    This paper reports on the alkaline-rare-earth aluminates (K{sub 2}NiF{sub 4}-type perovskites) which are an excellent choice as the substrate material for the growth of high-T{sub c} thin films suitable for microwave and far-infrared applications. The CaNdAlO{sub 4}, and SrLaAlO{sub 4} single crystals have been grown by Czochralski pulling and fabricated into the form of (001) oriented wafers. The Y-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O films deposited on these substrates by a single-target magnetron sputtering exhibited very good superconducting and structural properties.

  6. Coal fly ash as a resource for rare earth elements.

    PubMed

    Franus, Wojciech; Wiatros-Motyka, Małgorzata M; Wdowin, Magdalena

    2015-06-01

    Rare earth elements (REE) have been recognised as critical raw materials, crucial for many clean technologies. As the gap between their global demand and supply increases, the search for their alternative resources becomes more and more important, especially for the countries which depend highly on their import. Coal fly ash (CFA), which when not utilised is considered waste, has been regarded as the possible source of many elements, including REE. Due to the increase in the energy demand, CFA production is expected to grow, making research into the use of this material a necessity. As Poland is the second biggest coal consumer in the European Union, the authors have studied different coal fly ashes from ten Polish power plants for their rare earth element content. All the fly ashes have a broadly similar distribution of rear earth elements, with light REE being dominant. Most of the samples have REE content relatively high and according to Seredin and Dai (Int J Coal Geol 94: 67-93, 2012) classification can be considered promising REE raw materials.

  7. Effect of low doses of dietary rare earth elements on growth performance of broilers.

    PubMed

    He, M L; Wehr, U; Rambeck, W A

    2010-02-01

    The present study was designed to investigate effect of dietary rare earth elements (REE), including both organic and inorganic compounds, on growth performance of broilers. In experiment 1, a total of 180 male Ross broiler chicks were allocated to 72 pens with different assignment: four chicks per pen or individually. The following three treatment diets were applied: control, REE-chlorides at a dose of 40 mg/kg and REE-citrate at a dose of 70 mg/kg. Each treatment group had 24 pens containing both assignments (12 pens each). In experiment 2, a total of 72 male 3-day-old Ross broiler chicks were separated to four groups: control, REE-chlorides at a dose of 70 mg/kg and REE-citrate at doses of 70 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg. In experiment 1, dietary REE-citrate improved body weight gain during the overall period by 5.0% (p < 0.05) while the increase with REE-chloride was not significant. In experiment 2, growth effects (p < 0.05) were only found in the period from day 21 to slaughter with all REE forms, and feed conversion ratio was improved by 3.4% (p < 0.05) with REE-citrate. No significant effects of REE were found on chill weight, percentages of breast meat, thigh weight, drumstick weight and wing weight. Concentrations of La and Ce in the liver and muscles were very low, accounting for 0.11-0.76 and 0.02-0.30 mg/kg respectively. There was weak tendency for a dose-response relationship especially in the groups supplemented with REE-chlorides. The main blood serum biochemical parameters were not significantly affected by REE in the diets. The results suggest that dietary supplementation of low doses of REE-citrates might improve growth performance of broilers without affecting carcass composition and health of the broilers.

  8. Phosphate uptake behavior of layered rare earth hydroxides l-RE(OH)3 (RE = Sm, Gd, Er, and Y) from water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeon, Hong-Gu; Kim, Hyunsub; Jung, Hyunjin; Byeon, Song-Ho

    2018-07-01

    The use of rare earths (REs) provides various advantages for removal and recovery of phosphate from water because they have high affinity to form stable complexes with phosphates even at low concentrations. Very low solubility of rare earth phosphate REPO4 in water was expected to induce a high phosphate adsorption rate and capacity. In this study, layered rare earth hydroxides, l-RE(OH)3 (RE = Sm, Gd, Er, and Y), have been employed to remove or recover phosphate from aqueous solution. This layered polymorph of l-RE(OH)3, which is composed of hydroxocation layers, exhibited a high point of zero charge (pHpzc > 10) and significantly enhanced adsorptive ability for phosphates over a wide pH range. The isotherm and kinetics of phosphate adsorption on l-RE(OH)3 were explained dominantly by the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, respectively. A strong dependence of isotherm and kinetic parameters on RE demonstrated that the adsorption of phosphate on l-RE(OH)3 is a chemisorption dominated process involving the replacement of -OH by phosphate ion to be included into the coordination polyhedra of RE. The desorption of phosphate from l-RE(OH)3 was slow but the desorption efficiency for all RE members was higher than 97% in a 1.0 M NaOH solution after 4 days at room temperature. Considering high capacity and stability as well as no significant interference in recovery of phosphate from waters containing common competing anions, this rare earth adsorbent series is proposed as a promising alternative for efficient and sensitive phosphate recovery from natural and wastewaters.

  9. Thermodynamic Considerations of Direct Oxygen Removal from Titanium by Utilizing the Deoxidation Capability of Rare Earth Metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okabe, Toru H.; Zheng, Chenyi; Taninouchi, Yu-ki

    2018-06-01

    Oxygen removal from metallic Ti is extremely difficult and, currently, there is no commercial process for effectively deoxidizing Ti or its alloys. The oxygen concentration in Ti scraps is normally higher than that in virgin metals such as in Ti sponges produced by the Kroll process. When scraps are remelted with virgin metals for producing primary ingots of Ti or its alloys, the amount of scrap that can be used is limited owing to the accumulation of oxygen impurities. Future demands of an increase in Ti production and of mitigating environmental impacts require that the amount of scrap recycled as a feed material of Ti ingots should also increase. Therefore, it is important to develop methods for removing oxygen directly from Ti scraps. In this study, we evaluated the deoxidation limit for β-Ti using Y or light rare earth metals (La, Ce, Pr, or Nd) as a deoxidant. Thermodynamic considerations suggest that extra-low-oxygen Ti, with an oxygen concentration of 100 mass ppm or less can be obtained using a molten salt equilibrating with rare earth metals. The results presented herein also indicate that methods based on molten salt electrolysis for producing rare earth metals can be utilized for effectively and directly deoxidizing Ti scraps.

  10. Morbidity after Ultra Low Anterior Resection of the Rectum.

    PubMed

    Straja, N D; Ionescu, S; Brătucu, E; Alecu, M; Simion, L

    2015-01-01

    Anterior resections of the rectum, used as an alternative to amputation of the rectum, are performed more and more frequently, being presently indicated for neoplasms located ata distance of 7 to 4 cm from the anus. Complications of low and ultra low anterior resections are not at all negligible, and local neoplastic recurrence rate is significantly higher than after amputation of the rectum. However, literature data recommends low and ultra low anterior rectal resections, even if sometimes the method indications are pushed to the limit or the interventions are performed at the patient's request, in order to avoid permanent colostomy. The authors of this article aim to outline a true picture of the changes caused by anterior resections of the rectum, low and ultra low, so that, without denying the merits of these resections, the entire postoperative pathology that occurs in these patients is depicted and understood. Ultra low rectal resections, up to 3-4 cm from the anus, bring important morphological and functional changes to the act of defecation and to anal continence. These changes in colo-anal bowel movement have a much higher incidence than postoperative genitourinary disorders. Another important aspect emerging from the present study is related to the increased incidence of anastomotic disunity, stenosis and various degrees of incontinence, complications that often can only be solved by completion of rectum amputation and permanent colostomy. In addition, the functional outcomes of these ultra low resections are not always at the level expected by the patient. Also, in terms of surgical performance, the higher share of specific complications of the procedure raises questions with regard to the technique. For all these reasons the authors consider it necessary to review the lower limit to which an anterior rectal resection can descend. Celsius.

  11. Ground-state properties of rare-earth metals: an evaluation of density-functional theory.

    PubMed

    Söderlind, Per; Turchi, P E A; Landa, A; Lordi, V

    2014-10-15

    The rare-earth metals have important technological applications due to their magnetic properties, but are scarce and expensive. Development of high-performance magnetic materials with less rare-earth content is desired, but theoretical modeling is hampered by complexities of the rare earths electronic structure. The existence of correlated (atomic-like) 4f electrons in the vicinity of the valence band makes any first-principles theory challenging. Here, we apply and evaluate the efficacy of density-functional theory for the series of lanthanides (rare earths), investigating the influence of the electron exchange and correlation functional, spin-orbit interaction, and orbital polarization. As a reference, the results are compared with those of the so-called 'standard model' of the lanthanides in which electrons are constrained to occupy 4f core states with no hybridization with the valence electrons. Some comparisons are also made with models designed for strong electron correlations. Our results suggest that spin-orbit coupling and orbital polarization are important, particularly for the magnitude of the magnetic moments, and that calculated equilibrium volumes, bulk moduli, and magnetic moments show correct trends overall. However, the precision of the calculated properties is not at the level of that found for simpler metals in the Periodic Table of Elements, and the electronic structures do not accurately reproduce x-ray photoemission spectra.

  12. Dynamical and electronic properties of rare-earth aluminides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Ramesh; Sharma, Yamini

    2018-04-01

    Rare-earth dialuminides belong to a large family of compounds that stabilize in cubic MgCu2 structure. A large number of these compounds are superconducting, amongst these YAl2, LaAl2 and LuAl2 have been chosen as reference materials for studying 4f-electron systems. In order to understand the role of the RE atoms, we have applied the FPLAPW and PAW methods within the density functional theory (DFT). Our results show that the contribution of RE atoms is dominant in both electronic structure and phonon dispersion. The anomalous behavior of superconducting LaAl2 is well explained from an analysis of the electron localization function (ELF), Bader charge analysis, density of electronic states as well as the dynamical phonon vibrational modes. The interaction of phonon modes contributed by low frequency vibrations of La atoms with the high density La 5d-states at EF in LaAl2 lead to strong electron-phonon coupling.

  13. Study of rare earth local moment magnetism and strongly correlated phenomena in various crystal structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kong, Tai

    Benefiting from unique properties of 4f electrons, rare earth based compounds are known for offering a versatile playground for condensed matter physics research as well as industrial applications. This thesis focuses on three specific examples that further explore the rare earth local moment magnetism and strongly correlated phenomena in various crystal structures.

  14. Assembly techniques for ultra-low mass drift chambers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Assiro, R.; Cascella, M.; Grancagnolo, F.; L'Erario, A.; Miccoli, A.; Rella, S.; Spedicato, M.; Tassielli, G.

    2014-03-01

    We presents a novel technique for the fast assembly of next generation ultra low mass drift chambers offering space point resolution of the order of 100 μm and high tolerance to pile-up. The chamber design has been developed keeping in mind the requirements for the search of rare processes: high resolutions (order of 100-200 KeV/c) for particles momenta in a range (50-100 MeV/c) totally dominated by the multiple scattering contribution (e.g., muon and kaon decay experiment such as MEG at PSI and Mu2e and ORKA at Fermilab). We describe a novel wiring strategy enabling the semiautomatic wiring of a complete layer with a high degree of control over wire tension and position. We also present feed-through-less wire anchoring system. These techniques have been already implemented at INFN-Lecce in the construction of a prototype drift chamber to be soon tested with cosmic rays and particle beams.

  15. Intermediate phases in some rare earth-ruthenium systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sharifrazi, P.; Raman, A.; Mohanty, R. C.

    1984-01-01

    The phase equilibria and crystal structures of intermediate phases were investigated in eight representative RE-Ru systems using powder X-ray diffraction and metallographic techniques. The Fe3C, Mn5C2 and Er5Ru3 structures occur in all but the Ce-Ru systems. Phases analogous to Er5Ru3 possess an unknown crystal structure similar to Er5Rh3(I). MgCu2 and MgZn2 type Laves phases are encountered in the light rare earth and heavy rare earth systems, respectively, and RERu2 phases, where RE = Nd and Sm, possess both the Laves phase structures. An intermediate phase, NdRu, with an unknown structure, occurs only in the Nd-Ru system. A bcc structure with 40 atoms per unit cell is encountered in the phases Er3Ru2 and Y3Ru2. The behavior of cerium in Ce-Ru alloys is unique in that four unidentified structures, not encountered in other RE-Ru systems, have been encountered. Also a phase designated as Ce3Ru is found with the Th7Fe3 type structure.

  16. [Rare earth elements contents and distribution characteristics in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiangmin; Lan, Xiaolin; Zhang, Lingzhen; Xiao, Fufu; Zhong, Zhaoming; Ye, Guilin; Li, Zong; Li, Shaojin

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the rare earth elements(REEs) contents and distribution characteristics in nasopharyngeal carcinoma( NPC) tissue in Gannan region. Thirty patients of NPC in Gannan region were included in this study. The REEs contents were measured by tandem mass spectrometer inductively coupled plasma(ICP-MS/MS) in 30 patients, and the REEs contents and distribution were analyzed. The average standard deviation value of REEs in lung cancer and normal lung tissues was the minimum mostly. Light REEs content was higher than the medium REEs, and medium REEs content was higher than the heavy REEs content. REEs contents changes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma were variable obviously, the absolute value of Nd, Ce, Pr, Gd and other light rare earth elements were variable widely. The degree of changes on Yb, Tb, Ho and other heavy rare earth elements were variable widely, and there was presence of Eu, Ce negative anomaly(δEu=0. 385 5, δCe= 0. 523 4). The distribution characteristic of REEs contents in NPC patients is consistent with the parity distribution. With increasing atomic sequence, the content is decline wavy. Their distribution patterns were a lack of heavy REEs and enrichment of light REEs, and there was Eu , Ce negative anomaly.

  17. Interfacing superconducting qubits and telecom photons via a rare-earth-doped crystal.

    PubMed

    O'Brien, Christopher; Lauk, Nikolai; Blum, Susanne; Morigi, Giovanna; Fleischhauer, Michael

    2014-08-08

    We propose a scheme to couple short single photon pulses to superconducting qubits. An optical photon is first absorbed into an inhomogeneously broadened rare-earth doped crystal using controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening. The optical excitation is then mapped into a spin state using a series of π pulses and subsequently transferred to a superconducting qubit via a microwave cavity. To overcome the intrinsic and engineered inhomogeneous broadening of the optical and spin transitions in rare-earth doped crystals, we make use of a special transfer protocol using staggered π pulses. We predict total transfer efficiencies on the order of 90%.

  18. Alternatives to Rare Earth Permanent Magnets for Energy Harvesting Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khazdozian, Helena; Hadimani, Ravi; Jiles, David

    Direct-drive permanent magnet generators (DDPMGs) offer increased reliability and efficiency over the more commonly used geared doubly-fed induction generator, yet are only employed in less than 1 percent of utility scale wind turbines in the U.S. One major barrier to increased deployment of DDPMGs in the U.S. wind industry is NdFeB permanent magnets (PMs), which contain critical rare earth elements Nd and Dy. To allow for the use of rare earth free PMs, the magnetic loading, defined as the average magnetic flux density over the rotor surface, must be maintained. Halbach cylinders are employed in 3.5kW Halbach PMGs (HPMGs) of varying slot-to-pole ratio to concentrate the magnetic flux output by a lower energy density PM over the rotor surface. We found that for high pole and slot number, the increase in magnetic loading is sufficient to allow for the use of strontium iron oxide hard ferrite PMs and achieved rated performance. Joule losses in the stator windings were found to increase for the hard ferrite PMs due to increased inductance in the stator windings. However, for scaling of the HPMG designs to 3MW, rated performance and high efficiency were achieved, demonstrating the potential for elimination for rare earth PMs in commercial scale wind turbines. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1069283 and a Barbara and James Palmer Endowment at Iowa State University.

  19. SEPARATION OF TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS FROM RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS

    DOEpatents

    Kohman, T.P.

    1961-11-21

    A process of separating neptunium and plutonium values from rare earths and alkaline earth fission products present on a solid mixed actinide carrier (Th or U(IV) oxalate or fluoride) --fission product carrier (LaF/sub 3/, CeF/sub 3/, SrF/sub 2/, CaF/sub 2/, YF/sub 3/, La oxalate, cerous oxalate, Sr oxalate, Ca oxalate or Y oxalate) by extraction of the actinides at elevated temperature with a solution of ammonium fluoride and/or ammonium oxalate is described. Separation of the fission-product-containing carriers from the actinide solution formed and precipitation of the neptunium and plutonium from the solution with mineral acid are also accomplished. (AEC)

  20. A first report of rare earth elements in northwestern Mediterranean seaweeds.

    PubMed

    Squadrone, Stefania; Brizio, Paola; Battuello, Marco; Nurra, Nicola; Sartor, Rocco Mussat; Benedetto, Alessandro; Pessani, Daniela; Abete, Maria Cesarina

    2017-09-15

    The concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) were determined by ICP-MS in dominant seaweed species, collected from three locations of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. This is the first study to define levels and patterns of REE in macro algae from these coastal areas. Rare elements are becoming emerging inorganic contaminants in marine ecosystems, due to their worldwide increasing applications in industry, technology, medicine and agriculture. Significant inter-site and interspecies differences were registered, with higher levels of REE in brown and green macro algae than in red seaweeds. Levels of light REE were also observed to be greater compared to heavy REE in all samples. One of the investigated locations (Bergeggi, SV) had higher REE and ΣREE concentrations, probably due to its proximity to an important commercial and touristic harbor, while the other two sites were less affected by anthropogenic contaminations, and showed comparable REE patterns and lower concentrations. Rare earth elements in seaweeds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Loparite, a rare-earth ore (Ce, Na, Sr, Ca)(Ti, Nb, Ta, Fe+3)O3

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hedrick, James B.; Sinha, Shyama P.; Kosynkin, Valery D.

    1997-01-01

    The mineral loparite (Ce, NA, Sr, Ca)(Ti, Nb, Ta, Fe+3)O3 is the principal ore of the light-group rare-earth elements (LREE) in Russia. The complex oxide has a perovskite (ABO3) structure with coupled substitutions, polymorphism, defect chemistry and a tendency to become metamict. The A site generally contains weakly bonded, easily exchanged cations of the LREE, Na and Ca. The B site generally contains smaller, highly charged cations of Ti, Nb or Fe+3. Mine production is from Russia's Kola Peninsula. Ore is beneficiated to produce a 95% loparite concentrate containing 30% rare-earth oxides. Loparite concentrate is refined by either a chlorination process or acid decomposition process to recover rare-earths, titanium, niobium and tantalum. Rare-earths are separated by solvent extraction and selective precipitation/dissolution. The concentrate is processed at plants in Russia, Estonia and Kazakstan.

  2. Rare-earth nickelates RNiO3: thin films and heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Catalano, S.; Gibert, M.; Fowlie, J.; Íñiguez, J.; Triscone, J.-M.; Kreisel, J.

    2018-04-01

    This review stands in the larger framework of functional materials by focussing on heterostructures of rare-earth nickelates, described by the chemical formula RNiO3 where R is a trivalent rare-earth R  =  La, Pr, Nd, Sm, …, Lu. Nickelates are characterized by a rich phase diagram of structural and physical properties and serve as a benchmark for the physics of phase transitions in correlated oxides where electron–lattice coupling plays a key role. Much of the recent interest in nickelates concerns heterostructures, that is single layers of thin film, multilayers or superlattices, with the general objective of modulating their physical properties through strain control, confinement or interface effects. We will discuss the extensive studies on nickelate heterostructures as well as outline different approaches to tuning and controlling their physical properties and, finally, review application concepts for future devices.

  3. Rare-earth nickelates RNiO3: thin films and heterostructures.

    PubMed

    Catalano, S; Gibert, M; Fowlie, J; Íñiguez, J; Triscone, J-M; Kreisel, J

    2018-04-01

    This review stands in the larger framework of functional materials by focussing on heterostructures of rare-earth nickelates, described by the chemical formula RNiO 3 where R is a trivalent rare-earth R  =  La, Pr, Nd, Sm, …, Lu. Nickelates are characterized by a rich phase diagram of structural and physical properties and serve as a benchmark for the physics of phase transitions in correlated oxides where electron-lattice coupling plays a key role. Much of the recent interest in nickelates concerns heterostructures, that is single layers of thin film, multilayers or superlattices, with the general objective of modulating their physical properties through strain control, confinement or interface effects. We will discuss the extensive studies on nickelate heterostructures as well as outline different approaches to tuning and controlling their physical properties and, finally, review application concepts for future devices.

  4. All-optical control of long-lived nuclear spins in rare-earth doped nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Serrano, D; Karlsson, J; Fossati, A; Ferrier, A; Goldner, P

    2018-05-29

    Nanoscale systems that coherently couple to light and possess spins offer key capabilities for quantum technologies. However, an outstanding challenge is to preserve properties, and especially optical and spin coherence lifetimes, at the nanoscale. Here, we report optically controlled nuclear spins with long coherence lifetimes (T 2 ) in rare-earth-doped nanoparticles. We detect spins echoes and measure a spin coherence lifetime of 2.9 ± 0.3 ms at 5 K under an external magnetic field of 9 mT, a T 2 value comparable to those obtained in bulk rare-earth crystals. Moreover, we achieve spin T 2 extension using all-optical spin dynamical decoupling and observe high fidelity between excitation and echo phases. Rare-earth-doped nanoparticles are thus the only nano-material in which optically controlled spins with millisecond coherence lifetimes have been reported. These results open the way to providing quantum light-atom-spin interfaces with long storage time within hybrid architectures.

  5. Application of far infrared rare earth mineral composite materials to liquefied petroleum gas.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Dongbin; Liang, Jinsheng; Ding, Yan; Xu, Anping

    2010-03-01

    Far infrared rare earth mineral composite materials were prepared by the coprecipitation method using tourmaline, cerium acetate, and lanthanum acetate as raw materials. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy show that tourmaline modified with the rare earths La and Ce has a better far infrared emitting performance. Through XRD analysis, we attribute the improved far infrared emission properties of the tourmaline to the unit cell shrinkage of the tourmaline arising from La enhancing the redox properties of nano-CeO2. The effect of the composite materials on the combustion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was studied by the flue gas analysis and water boiling test. Based on the results, it was found that the composite materials could accelerate the combustion of LPG, and that the higher the emissivity of the rare earth mineral composite materials, the better the effects on combustion of LPG. In all activation styles, both air and LPG to be activated has a best effect, indicating the activations having a cumulative effect.

  6. Selective liquid chromatographic separation of yttrium from heavier rare earth elements using acetic acid as a novel eluent.

    PubMed

    Kifle, Dejene; Wibetoe, Grethe

    2013-09-13

    One of the major difficulties in the rare earth elements separation is purification of yttrium from heavy rare earth elements. Thus, an HPLC method using acetic acid as novel eluent was explored for selective separation of yttrium form the heavy rare earth elements. When acetic acid is used as a mobile phase yttrium eluted with the lighter lanthanides. This is contrary to its relative position amongst heavier lanthanides when eluents commonly used for separation of rare earth elements were employed. The shift in elution position of yttrium with acetic acid as eluent may reflect a relatively lower stability constant of the yttrium-AcOH complex (in the same order as for the lighter lanthanides) compared to the corresponding AcOH complexes with heavy lanthanides, enabling selective separation of yttrium from the latter. The method was successfully used for selective separation of yttrium in mixed rare earth sample containing about 80% of yttrium and about 20% of heavy rare earth oxides. Thus, the use of AcOH as eluent is an effective approach for separating and determining the trace amounts of heavy rare earth elements in large amounts of yttrium matrix. Separation was performed on C18 column by running appropriate elution programs. The effluent from the column was monitored with diode array detector at absorbance wavelength of 658nm after post column derivatization with Arsenazo III. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Highly efficient hydrophosphonylation of aldehydes and unactivated ketones catalyzed by methylene-linked pyrrolyl rare earth metal amido complexes.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Shuangliu; Wu, Zhangshuan; Rong, Jiewei; Wang, Shaowu; Yang, Gaosheng; Zhu, Xiancui; Zhang, Lijun

    2012-02-27

    A series of rare earth metal amido complexes bearing methylene-linked pyrrolyl-amido ligands were prepared through silylamine elimination reactions and displayed high catalytic activities in hydrophosphonylations of aldehydes and unactivated ketones under solvent-free conditions for liquid substrates. Treatment of [(Me(3)Si)(2)N](3)Ln(μ-Cl)Li(THF)(3) with 2-(2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3)NHCH(2))C(4)H(3)NH (1, 1 equiv) in toluene afforded the corresponding trivalent rare earth metal amides of formula {(μ-η(5):η(1)):η(1)-2-[(2,6-Me(2)C(6)H(3))NCH(2)](C(4)H(3)N)LnN(SiMe(3))(2)}(2) [Ln=Y (2), Nd (3), Sm (4), Dy (5), Yb (6)] in moderate to good yields. All compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and elemental analyses. The yttrium complex was also characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopic analyses. The structures of complexes 2, 3, 4, and 6 were determined by single-crystal X-ray analyses. Study of the catalytic activities of the complexes showed that these rare earth metal amido complexes were excellent catalysts for hydrophosphonylations of aldehydes and unactivated ketones. The catalyzed reactions between diethyl phosphite and aldehydes in the presence of the rare earth metal amido complexes (0.1 mol%) afforded the products in high yields (up to 99%) at room temperature in short times of 5 to 10 min. Furthermore, the catalytic addition of diethyl phosphite to unactivated ketones also afforded the products in high yields of up to 99% with employment of low loadings (0.1 to 0.5 mol%) of the rare earth metal amido complexes at room temperature in short times of 20 min. The system works well for a wide range of unactivated aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic ketones, especially for substituted benzophenones, giving the corresponding α-hydroxy diaryl phosphonates in moderate to high yields. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Geophysical Framework of a Rare Earth Element Enriched Terrane, Mountain Pass, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denton, K. M.; Ponce, D. A.; Peacock, J.; Miller, D. M.; Miller, J. S.

    2016-12-01

    Carbonatite ore deposits continue to be the primary source for rare earth elements (REEs), however large viable REE ore deposits are uncommon. The Mountain Pass carbonatite deposit, located in the eastern Mojave Desert of California, is the largest economic deposit of light REEs in North America. A 1.417 Ga ultrapotassic suite (shonkinite, syenite, and granite) and a 1.375 Ga barite-bastnasite-rich carbonatite (sovite) ore deposit comprise the enclave of REE-enriched outcrops and dikes that occupy a narrow ( 3 km) zone of 1.7 Ga gneiss extending at least 10-km to the southeast from southern Clark Mountain. Modeling of gravity, magnetic, and magnetotelluric (MT) data reveals subsurface features that form the structural framework of the REE terrane. The carbonatite and ultrapotassic mafic suite is associated with a local gravity high that is superimposed on a 4 km-wide gravity terrace, likely related to less dense granitic gneiss basement. Although physical property data indicate that the intrusive suite and carbonatite are essentially and nonmagnetic, aeromagnetic data indicate that these rocks occur along the eastern edge of a prominent north-northwest trending aeromagnetic high. This relationship suggests that they may have been preferentially emplaced along a zone of weakness or fault. The source of the magnetic high is 2-3 km below the surface and coincides with a relatively electrically conductive (3 orders of magnitude higher than surrounding rock) feature. MT data indicate that the western edge of the magnetic feature could be connected to a deeper ( 8 km) conductive feature related to possible intrusions and/or hydrothermal systems. The lack of a magnetic signature of the REE terrane can be explained by alteration of magnetite, given that the terrane lies within a broader alteration zone and observed magnetic low. If so, such an alteration event, capable of remobilizing rare earth elements, likely occurred during or after emplacement of the intrusive suite

  9. High quality, patient centred and coordinated care for Alstrom syndrome: a model of care for an ultra-rare disease.

    PubMed

    Van Groenendael, Stephanie; Giacovazzi, Luca; Davison, Fabian; Holtkemper, Oliver; Huang, Zexin; Wang, Qiaoying; Parkinson, Kay; Barrett, Timothy; Geberhiwot, Tarekegn

    2015-11-24

    Patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases make heavy demands on the resources of both health and social services, but these resources are often used inefficiently due to delays in diagnosis, poor and fragmented care. We analysed the national service for an ultra-rare disease, Alstrom syndrome, and compared the outcome and cost of the service to the standard care. Between the 9th and 26th of March 2014 we undertook a cross-sectional study of the UK Alstrom syndrome patients and their carers. We developed a semi-structured questionnaire to assess our rare patient need, quality of care and costs incurred to patients and their careers. In the UK all Alstrom syndrome patients are seen in two centres, based in Birmingham, and we systematically evaluated the national service and compared the quality and cost of care with patients' previous standard of care. One quarter of genetically confirmed Alstrom syndrome UK patients were enrolled in this study. Patients that have access to a highly specialised clinical service reported that their care is well organised, personalised, holistic, and that they have a say in their care. All patients reported high level of satisfaction in their care. Patient treatment compliance and clinic attendance was better in multidisciplinary clinic than the usual standard of NHS care. Following a variable costing approach based on personnel and consumables' cost, our valuation of the clinics was just under £700/patient/annum compared to the standard care of £960/patient/annum. Real savings, however, came in terms of patients' quality of life. Furthermore there was found to have been a significant reduction in frequency of clinic visits and ordering of investigations since the establishment of the national service. Our study has shown that organised, multidisciplinary "one stop" clinics are patient centred and individually tailored to the patient need with a better outcome and comparable cost compared with the current standard of care for rare

  10. Recent Advances of Rare-Earth Ion Doped Luminescent Nanomaterials in Perovskite Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Qiao, Yu; Li, Shuhan; Liu, Wenhui; Ran, Meiqing; Lu, Haifei; Yang, Yingping

    2018-01-15

    Organic-inorganic lead halide based perovskite solar cells have received broad interest due to their merits of low fabrication cost, a low temperature solution process, and high energy conversion efficiencies. Rare-earth (RE) ion doped nanomaterials can be used in perovskite solar cells to expand the range of absorption spectra and improve the stability due to its upconversion and downconversion effect. This article reviews recent progress in using RE-ion-doped nanomaterials in mesoporous electrodes, perovskite active layers, and as an external function layer of perovskite solar cells. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing the effective use of RE-ion-doped nanomaterials in perovskite solar cells and present some prospects for future research.

  11. Recent Advances of Rare-Earth Ion Doped Luminescent Nanomaterials in Perovskite Solar Cells

    PubMed Central

    Qiao, Yu; Li, Shuhan; Liu, Wenhui; Ran, Meiqing; Lu, Haifei

    2018-01-01

    Organic-inorganic lead halide based perovskite solar cells have received broad interest due to their merits of low fabrication cost, a low temperature solution process, and high energy conversion efficiencies. Rare-earth (RE) ion doped nanomaterials can be used in perovskite solar cells to expand the range of absorption spectra and improve the stability due to its upconversion and downconversion effect. This article reviews recent progress in using RE-ion-doped nanomaterials in mesoporous electrodes, perovskite active layers, and as an external function layer of perovskite solar cells. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing the effective use of RE-ion-doped nanomaterials in perovskite solar cells and present some prospects for future research. PMID:29342950

  12. Ultra-Low-Cost Room Temperature SiC Thin Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Faur, Maria

    1997-01-01

    The research group at CSU has conducted theoretical and experimental research on 'Ultra-Low-Cost Room Temperature SiC Thin Films. The effectiveness of a ultra-low-cost room temperature thin film SiC growth technique on Silicon and Germanium substrates and structures with applications to space solar sells, ThermoPhotoVoltaic (TPV) cells and microelectronic and optoelectronic devices was investigated and the main result of this effort are summarized.

  13. Equilibrium distribution of rare earth elements between molten KCl-LiCl eutectic salt and liquid cadmium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakata, Masahiro; Kurata, Masaki; Hijikata, Takatoshi; Inoue, Tadashi

    1991-11-01

    Distribution experiments for several rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Y) between molten KCl-LiCl eutectic salt and liquid Cd were carried out at 450, 500 and 600°C. The material balance of rare earth elements after reaching the equilibrium and their distribution and chemical states in a Cd sample frozen after the experiment were examined. The results suggested the formation of solid intermetallic compounds at the lower concentrations of rare earth metals dissolved in liquid Cd than those solubilities measured in the binary alloy system. The distribution coefficients of rare earth elements between two phases (mole fraction in the Cd phase divided by mole fraction in the salt phase) were determined at each temperature. These distribution coefficients were explained satisfactorily by using the activity coefficients of chlorides and metals in salt and Cd. Both the activity coefficients of metal and chloride caused a much smaller distribution coefficient of Y relative to those of other elements.

  14. Rare earth doped zinc oxide varistors

    DOEpatents

    McMillan, A.D.; Modine, F.A.; Lauf, R.J.; Alim, M.A.; Mahan, G.D.; Bartkowiak, M.

    1998-12-29

    A varistor includes a Bi-free, essentially homogeneous sintered body of a ceramic composition including, expressed as nominal weight %, 0.2--4.0% oxide of at least one rare earth element, 0.5--4.0% Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}, 0.05--0.4% K{sub 2}O, 0.05--0.2% Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--0.2% CaO, 0.00005--0.01% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 0--2% MnO, 0--0.05% MgO, 0--0.5% TiO{sub 3}, 0--0.2% SnO{sub 2}, 0--0.02% B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, balance ZnO. 4 figs.

  15. Rare earth doped zinc oxide varistors

    DOEpatents

    McMillan, April D.; Modine, Frank A.; Lauf, Robert J.; Alim, Mohammad A.; Mahan, Gerald D.; Bartkowiak, Miroslaw

    1998-01-01

    A varistor includes a Bi-free, essentially homogeneous sintered body of a ceramic composition including, expressed as nominal weight %, 0.2-4.0% oxide of at least one rare earth element, 0.5-4.0% Co.sub.3 O.sub.4, 0.05-0.4% K.sub.2 O, 0.05-0.2% Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-0.2% CaO, 0.00005-0.01% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-2% MnO, 0-0.05% MgO, 0-0.5% TiO.sub.3, 0-0.2% SnO.sub.2, 0-0.02% B.sub.2 O.sub.3, balance ZnO.

  16. Note: Ultra-low birefringence dodecagonal vacuum glass cell.

    PubMed

    Brakhane, Stefan; Alt, Wolfgang; Meschede, Dieter; Robens, Carsten; Moon, Geol; Alberti, Andrea

    2015-12-01

    We report on an ultra-low birefringence dodecagonal glass cell for ultra-high vacuum applications. The epoxy-bonded trapezoidal windows of the cell are made of SF57 glass, which exhibits a very low stress-induced birefringence. We characterize the birefringence Δn of each window with the cell under vacuum conditions, obtaining values around 10(-8). After baking the cell at 150 °C, we reach a pressure below 10(-10) mbar. In addition, each window is antireflection coated on both sides, which is highly desirable for quantum optics experiments and precision measurements.

  17. Convolutional auto-encoder for image denoising of ultra-low-dose CT.

    PubMed

    Nishio, Mizuho; Nagashima, Chihiro; Hirabayashi, Saori; Ohnishi, Akinori; Sasaki, Kaori; Sagawa, Tomoyuki; Hamada, Masayuki; Yamashita, Tatsuo

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to validate a patch-based image denoising method for ultra-low-dose CT images. Neural network with convolutional auto-encoder and pairs of standard-dose CT and ultra-low-dose CT image patches were used for image denoising. The performance of the proposed method was measured by using a chest phantom. Standard-dose and ultra-low-dose CT images of the chest phantom were acquired. The tube currents for standard-dose and ultra-low-dose CT were 300 and 10 mA, respectively. Ultra-low-dose CT images were denoised with our proposed method using neural network, large-scale nonlocal mean, and block-matching and 3D filtering. Five radiologists and three technologists assessed the denoised ultra-low-dose CT images visually and recorded their subjective impressions of streak artifacts, noise other than streak artifacts, visualization of pulmonary vessels, and overall image quality. For the streak artifacts, noise other than streak artifacts, and visualization of pulmonary vessels, the results of our proposed method were statistically better than those of block-matching and 3D filtering (p-values < 0.05). On the other hand, the difference in the overall image quality between our proposed method and block-matching and 3D filtering was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.07272). The p-values obtained between our proposed method and large-scale nonlocal mean were all less than 0.05. Neural network with convolutional auto-encoder could be trained using pairs of standard-dose and ultra-low-dose CT image patches. According to the visual assessment by radiologists and technologists, the performance of our proposed method was superior to that of large-scale nonlocal mean and block-matching and 3D filtering.

  18. Research of green emitting rare-earth doped materials as potential quantum-cutter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moine, Bernard; Beauzamy, Lena; Gredin, Patrick; Wallez, Gilles; Labeguerie, Jessica

    2008-03-01

    Because the energy of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons emitted by xenon plasma discharge is more than twice that of visible photons, quantum cutting appears to be a promising process in rare-earth doped materials in order to obtain efficient phosphors for mercury free lighting devices as well as for plasma display panels. With an aim of application, it is important to take into account the emitting color of the developed new phosphors. Most of the time, this leads to use systems with at least two kinds of rare earth ions: one of them playing the role of energy sensitizer, and the other one being in charge of emitting the light of the suitable color. We focus our attention on green rare-earth doped materials. In order to get very efficient phosphors, it is not only necessary to get the highest possible quantum yield, but also to have a material characterized by a strong absorption in the VUV range. Borate and fluoride matrices doped with Dy 3+/Tb 3+ couples of ions are selected according to the position of the 5d band of dysprosium as green emitters.

  19. High-pressure phase transitions in rare earth metal thulium to 195 GPa.

    PubMed

    Montgomery, Jeffrey M; Samudrala, Gopi K; Tsoi, Georgiy M; Vohra, Yogesh K

    2011-04-20

    We have performed image plate x-ray diffraction studies on a heavy rare earth metal, thulium (Tm), in a diamond anvil cell to a pressure of 195 GPa and volume compression V/V₀ = 0.38 at room temperature. The rare earth crystal structure sequence, hcp →Sm-type→ dhcp →fcc → distorted fcc, is observed in Tm below 70 GPa with the exception of a pure fcc phase. The focus of our study is on the ultrahigh-pressure phase transition and Rietveld refinement of crystal structures in the pressure range between 70 and 195 GPa. The hexagonal hR-24 phase is seen to describe the distorted fcc phase between 70 and 124 GPa. Above 124 ± 4 GPa, a structural transformation from hR 24 phase to a monoclinic C 2/m phase is observed with a volume change of -1.5%. The equation of state data shows rapid stiffening above the phase transition at 124 GPa and is indicative of participation of f-electrons in bonding. We compare the behavior of Tm to other heavy rare-earths and heavy actinide metals under extreme conditions of pressure.

  20. High-pressure phase transitions in rare earth metal thulium to 195 GPa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montgomery, Jeffrey M.; Samudrala, Gopi K.; Tsoi, Georgiy M.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

    2011-04-01

    We have performed image plate x-ray diffraction studies on a heavy rare earth metal, thulium (Tm), in a diamond anvil cell to a pressure of 195 GPa and volume compression V/Vo = 0.38 at room temperature. The rare earth crystal structure sequence, {hcp}\\to {Sm {-}type} \\to {dhcp} \\to {fcc} \\to distorted fcc, is observed in Tm below 70 GPa with the exception of a pure fcc phase. The focus of our study is on the ultrahigh-pressure phase transition and Rietveld refinement of crystal structures in the pressure range between 70 and 195 GPa. The hexagonal hR- 24 phase is seen to describe the distorted fcc phase between 70 and 124 GPa. Above 124 ± 4 GPa, a structural transformation from hR 24 phase to a monoclinic C 2/m phase is observed with a volume change of - 1.5%. The equation of state data shows rapid stiffening above the phase transition at 124 GPa and is indicative of participation of f-electrons in bonding. We compare the behavior of Tm to other heavy rare-earths and heavy actinide metals under extreme conditions of pressure.

  1. Ultra-Low Loss Waveguides with Application to Photonic Integrated Circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauters, Jared F.

    The integration of photonic components using a planar platform promises advantages in cost, size, weight, and power consumption for optoelectronic systems. Yet, the typical propagation loss of 5-10 dB/m in a planar silica waveguide is nearly five orders-of-magnitude larger than that in low loss optical fibers. For some applications, the miniaturization of the photonic system and resulting smaller propagation lengths from integration are enough to overcome the increase in propagation loss. For other more demanding systems or applications, such as those requiring long optical time delays or high-quality-factor (Q factor) resonators, the high propagation loss can degrade system performance to a degree that trumps the potential advantages offered by integration. Thus, the reduction of planar waveguide propagation loss in a Si3-N4 based waveguide platform is a primary focus of this dissertation. The ultra-low loss stoichiometric Si3-N4 waveguide platform offers the additional advantages of fabrication process stability and repeatability. Yet, active devices such as lasers, amplifiers, and photodetectors have not been monolithically integrated with ultra-low loss waveguides due to the incompatibility of the active and ultra-low loss processing thermal budgets (ultra-low loss waveguides are annealed at temperatures exceeding 1000 °C in order to drive out impurities). So a platform that enables the integration of active devices with the ultra-low losses of the Si3- N4 waveguide platform is this dissertation's second focus. The work enables the future fabrication of sensor, gyroscope, true time delay, and low phase noise oscillator photonic integrated circuits.

  2. Selective extraction and recovery of rare earth metals from phosphor powders in waste fluorescent lamps using an ionic liquid system.

    PubMed

    Yang, Fan; Kubota, Fukiko; Baba, Yuzo; Kamiya, Noriho; Goto, Masahiro

    2013-06-15

    The recycling of rare earth metals from phosphor powders in waste fluorescent lamps by solvent extraction using ionic liquids was studied. Acid leaching of rare earth metals from the waste phosphor powder was examined first. Yttrium (Y) and europium (Eu) dissolved readily in the acid solution; however, the leaching of other rare earth metals required substantial energy input. Ionization of target rare earth metals from the waste phosphor powders into the leach solution was critical for their successful recovery. As a high temperature was required for the complete leaching of all rare earth metals, ionic liquids, for which vapor pressure is negligible, were used as an alternative extracting phase to the conventional organic diluent. An extractant, N, N-dioctyldiglycol amic acid (DODGAA), which was recently developed, showed a high affinity for rare earth metal ions in liquid-liquid extraction although a conventional commercial phosphonic extractant did not. An effective recovery of the rare earth metals, Y, Eu, La and Ce, from the metal impurities, Fe, Al and Zn, was achieved from the acidic leach solution of phosphor powders using an ionic liquid containing DODGAA as novel extractant system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Temperature-dependent Sellmeier equations for rare-earth sesquioxides.

    PubMed

    Zelmon, David E; Northridge, Jessica M; Haynes, Nicholas D; Perlov, Dan; Petermann, Klaus

    2013-06-01

    High-power lasers are making increasing demands on laser hosts especially in the area of thermal management. Traditional hosts, such as YAG, are unsuitable for many high-power applications and therefore, new hosts are being developed including rare-earth sesquioxides. We report new measurements of the refractive indices of these materials as functions of wavelength and temperature, which will aid in the design of laser cavities and other nonlinear optical elements.

  4. Structure of rare-earth chalcogenide glasses by neutron and x-ray diffraction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Drewitt, James W. E.; Salmon, Philip S.; Zeidler, Anita

    The method of neutron diffraction with isomorphic substitution was used to measure the structure of the rare-earth chalcogenide glasses (R 2X 3) 0.07(Ga 2X 3) 0.33(GeX 2) 0.60 with R = La or Ce and X = S or Se. X-ray diffraction was also used to measure the structure of the sulphide glass. The results are consistent with networks that are built from GeX 4 and GaX 4 tetrahedra, and give R-S and R-Se coordination numbers of 8.0(2) and 8.5(4), respectively. The minimum nearest-neighbour R-R distance associated with rare-earth clustering is discussed.

  5. Structure of rare-earth chalcogenide glasses by neutron and x-ray diffraction

    DOE PAGES

    Drewitt, James W. E.; Salmon, Philip S.; Zeidler, Anita; ...

    2017-04-28

    The method of neutron diffraction with isomorphic substitution was used to measure the structure of the rare-earth chalcogenide glasses (R 2X 3) 0.07(Ga 2X 3) 0.33(GeX 2) 0.60 with R = La or Ce and X = S or Se. X-ray diffraction was also used to measure the structure of the sulphide glass. The results are consistent with networks that are built from GeX 4 and GaX 4 tetrahedra, and give R-S and R-Se coordination numbers of 8.0(2) and 8.5(4), respectively. The minimum nearest-neighbour R-R distance associated with rare-earth clustering is discussed.

  6. Adiabatically describing rare earths using microscopic deformations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nobre, Gustavo; Dupuis, Marc; Herman, Michal; Brown, David

    2017-09-01

    Recent works showed that reactions on well-deformed nuclei in the rare-earth region are very well described by an adiabatic method. This assumes a spherical optical potential (OP) accounting for non-rotational degrees of freedom while the deformed configuration is described by couplings to states of the g.s. rotational band. This method has, apart from the global OP, only the deformation parameters as inputs, with no additional fit- ted variables. For this reason, it has only been applied to nuclei with well-measured deformations. With the new computational capabilities, microscopic large-scale calculations of deformation parameters within the HFB method based on the D1S Gogny force are available in the literature. We propose to use such microscopic deformations in our adi- abatic method, allowing us to reproduce the cross sections agreements observed in stable nuclei, and to reliably extend this description to nuclei far from stability, describing the whole rare-earth region. Since all cross sections, such as capture and charge exchange, strongly depend on the correct calculation of absorption from the incident channel (from direct reaction mechanisms), this approach significantly improves the accuracy of cross sections and transitions relevant to astrophysical studies. The work at BNL was sponsored by the Office of Nuclear Physics, Office of Science of the US Department of Energy, under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886 with Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC.

  7. Adsorption of Salicylhydroxamic Acid on Selected Rare Earth Oxides and Carbonates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galt, Greer Elaine

    Adsorption behavior of the anionic collector salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) on a selected group of rare earth oxides (REOs) and carbonates (RECs) was studied via experimental methods and modelling software. Synthetic oxide and carbonate powders of the rare earth elements cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), europium (Eu), and terbium (Tb) were tested for this research. Studies were conducted at different pH levels to analyze the kinetics of collector adsorption onto the oxide and carbonate surfaces in attempts to optimize recovery parameters for commercial flotation processes using SHA. In addition, thermodynamic software StabCal was implemented to compare theoretical adsorption behavior of collectors SHA and octylhydroxamic acid (OHA) on these four rare earth oxides and carbonates. Theoretical points of zero charge were also estimated via StabCal and compared to experimental values to establish validity. Results for oxides indicate that both the amount and rate of SHA adsorption are highest for lighter REOs, decreasing as ionic diameter increases, a chelation phenomenon common with hydroxamates. However, results for the carbonates exhibit the opposite trend: strongest SHA adsorption was seen in the heavy RECs. This pattern correlates to the increasing stability of the carbonate such that ionic diameter of the REs becomes more amenable to chelation due to differences in bonding chemistry. Overall, adsorption kinetics appear dependent on pH, coordination chemistry, and cation size.

  8. Scanning Electron Microscope-Cathodoluminescence Analysis of Rare-Earth Elements in Magnets.

    PubMed

    Imashuku, Susumu; Wagatsuma, Kazuaki; Kawai, Jun

    2016-02-01

    Scanning electron microscope-cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) analysis was performed for neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) and samarium-cobalt (Sm-Co) magnets to analyze the rare-earth elements present in the magnets. We examined the advantages of SEM-CL analysis over conventional analytical methods such as SEM-energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and SEM-wavelength-dispersive X-ray (WDX) spectroscopy for elemental analysis of rare-earth elements in NdFeB magnets. Luminescence spectra of chloride compounds of elements in the magnets were measured by the SEM-CL method. Chloride compounds were obtained by the dropwise addition of hydrochloric acid on the magnets followed by drying in vacuum. Neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium were separately detected in the NdFeB magnets, and samarium was detected in the Sm-Co magnet by the SEM-CL method. In contrast, it was difficult to distinguish terbium and dysprosium in the NdFeB magnet with a dysprosium concentration of 1.05 wt% by conventional SEM-EDX analysis. Terbium with a concentration of 0.02 wt% in an NdFeB magnet was detected by SEM-CL analysis, but not by conventional SEM-WDX analysis. SEM-CL analysis is advantageous over conventional SEM-EDX and SEM-WDX analyses for detecting trace rare-earth elements in NdFeB magnets, particularly dysprosium and terbium.

  9. Interactions of phosphate solubilising microorganisms with natural rare-earth phosphate minerals: a study utilizing Western Australian monazite.

    PubMed

    Corbett, Melissa K; Eksteen, Jacques J; Niu, Xi-Zhi; Croue, Jean-Philippe; Watkin, Elizabeth L J

    2017-06-01

    Many microbial species are capable of solubilising insoluble forms of phosphate and are used in agriculture to improve plant growth. In this study, we apply the use of known phosphate solubilising microbes (PSM) to the release of rare-earth elements (REE) from the rare-earth phosphate mineral, monazite. Two sources of monazite were used, a weathered monazite and mineral sand monazite, both from Western Australia. When incubated with PSM, the REE were preferentially released into the leachate. Penicillum sp. released a total concentration of 12.32 mg L -1 rare-earth elements (Ce, La, Nd, and Pr) from the weathered monazite after 192 h with little release of thorium and iron into solution. However, cultivation on the mineral sands monazite resulted in the preferential release of Fe and Th. Analysis of the leachate detected the production of numerous low-molecular weight organic acids. Gluconic acid was produced by all microorganisms; however, other organic acids produced differed between microbes and the monazite source provided. Abiotic leaching with equivalent combinations of organic acids resulted in the lower release of REE implying that other microbial processes are playing a role in solubilisation of the monazite ore. This study demonstrates that microbial solubilisation of monazite is promising; however, the extent of the reaction is highly dependent on the monazite matrix structure and elemental composition.

  10. Impacts of Earth rotation parameters on GNSS ultra-rapid orbit prediction: Derivation and real-time correction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qianxin; Hu, Chao; Xu, Tianhe; Chang, Guobin; Hernández Moraleda, Alberto

    2017-12-01

    Analysis centers (ACs) for global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) cannot accurately obtain real-time Earth rotation parameters (ERPs). Thus, the prediction of ultra-rapid orbits in the international terrestrial reference system (ITRS) has to utilize the predicted ERPs issued by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) or the International GNSS Service (IGS). In this study, the accuracy of ERPs predicted by IERS and IGS is analyzed. The error of the ERPs predicted for one day can reach 0.15 mas and 0.053 ms in polar motion and UT1-UTC direction, respectively. Then, the impact of ERP errors on ultra-rapid orbit prediction by GNSS is studied. The methods for orbit integration and frame transformation in orbit prediction with introduced ERP errors dominate the accuracy of the predicted orbit. Experimental results show that the transformation from the geocentric celestial references system (GCRS) to ITRS exerts the strongest effect on the accuracy of the predicted ultra-rapid orbit. To obtain the most accurate predicted ultra-rapid orbit, a corresponding real-time orbit correction method is developed. First, orbits without ERP-related errors are predicted on the basis of ITRS observed part of ultra-rapid orbit for use as reference. Then, the corresponding predicted orbit is transformed from GCRS to ITRS to adjust for the predicted ERPs. Finally, the corrected ERPs with error slopes are re-introduced to correct the predicted orbit in ITRS. To validate the proposed method, three experimental schemes are designed: function extrapolation, simulation experiments, and experiments with predicted ultra-rapid orbits and international GNSS Monitoring and Assessment System (iGMAS) products. Experimental results show that using the proposed correction method with IERS products considerably improved the accuracy of ultra-rapid orbit prediction (except the geosynchronous BeiDou orbits). The accuracy of orbit prediction is enhanced by at least 50

  11. Bacterial Cell Surface Adsorption of Rare Earth Elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiao, Y.; Park, D.; Reed, D.; Fujita, Y.; Yung, M.; Anderko, A.; Eslamimanesh, A.

    2015-12-01

    Rare earth elements (REE) play a critical role in many emerging clean energy technologies, including high-power magnets, wind turbines, solar panels, hybrid/electric vehicle batteries and lamp phosphors. In order to sustain demand for such technologies given current domestic REE shortages, there is a need to develop new approaches for ore processing/refining and recycling of REE-containing materials. To this end, we have developed a microbially-mediated bioadsorption strategy with application towards enrichment of REE from complex mixtures. Specifically, the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus was genetically engineered to display lanthanide binding tags (LBTs), short peptides that possess high affinity and specificity for rare earth elements, on its cell surface S-layer protein. Under optimal conditions, LBT-displayed cells adsorbed greater than 5-fold more REE than control cells lacking LBTs. Competition binding experiments with a selection of REEs demonstrated that our engineered cells could facilitate separation of light- from heavy- REE. Importantly, binding of REE onto our engineered strains was much more favorable compared to non-REE metals. Finally, REE bound to the cell surface could be stripped off using citrate, providing an effective and non-toxic REE recovery method. Together, this data highlights the potential of our approach for selective REE enrichment from REE containing mixtures.

  12. Adsorption Behavior of Rare Earth Metal Cations in the Interlayer Space of γ-ZrP.

    PubMed

    Takei, Takahiro; Iidzuka, Kiyoaki; Miura, Akira; Yanagida, Sayaka; Kumada, Nobuhiro; Magome, Eisuke; Moriyoshi, Chikako; Kuroiwa, Yoshihiro

    2016-10-04

    Adsorption competencies of rare earth metal cations in γ-zirconium phosphate were examined by ICP, synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and ab initio simulation. The adsorption amounts are around 0.06-0.10 per zirconium phosphate. From the SXRD patterns of the adsorbed samples, the basal spacing estimated by c sin β increased linearly with an increasing ionic radius of rare earth metal cation, though a and b lattice constants show no change. These SXRD patterns can be classified into four groups that have different super lattices. The four superlattices have multiplicities of x131, x241, and x221 for the xabc axis, and the location of the rare earth metal cation in the original unit cell changes depending on the superlattice cell. In the x131 superlattice, Yb and Er occupied the site near the zirconium phosphate layer, though La and Ce in the x221 superlattice remained in the center position between the phosphate sheet. For the ab initio simulation of γ-ZrP with the typical rare earth metal cations (Tb, Eu, Dy, and La), the results of simulation show a similar tendency of the position estimated by SXRD refinements.

  13. Operation of a 400MHz NMR magnet using a (RE:Rare Earth)Ba2Cu3O7-x high-temperature superconducting coil: Towards an ultra-compact super-high field NMR spectrometer operated beyond 1GHz.

    PubMed

    Yanagisawa, Y; Piao, R; Iguchi, S; Nakagome, H; Takao, T; Kominato, K; Hamada, M; Matsumoto, S; Suematsu, H; Jin, X; Takahashi, M; Yamazaki, T; Maeda, H

    2014-12-01

    High-temperature superconductors (HTS) are the key technology to achieve super-high magnetic field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers with an operating frequency far beyond 1GHz (23.5T). (RE)Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7- x (REBCO, RE: rare earth) conductors have an advantage over Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10- x (Bi-2223) and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8- x (Bi-2212) conductors in that they have very high tensile strengths and tolerate strong electromagnetic hoop stress, thereby having the potential to act as an ultra-compact super-high field NMR magnet. As a first step, we developed the world's first NMR magnet comprising an inner REBCO coil and outer low-temperature superconducting (LTS) coils. The magnet was successfully charged without degradation and mainly operated at 400MHz (9.39T). Technical problems for the NMR magnet due to screening current in the REBCO coil were clarified and solved as follows: (i) A remarkable temporal drift of the central magnetic field was suppressed by a current sweep reversal method utilizing ∼10% of the peak current. (ii) A Z2 field error harmonic of the main coil cannot be compensated by an outer correction coil and therefore an additional ferromagnetic shim was used. (iii) Large tesseral harmonics emerged that could not be corrected by cryoshim coils. Due to those harmonics, the resolution and sensitivity of NMR spectra are ten-fold lower than those for a conventional LTS NMR magnet. As a result, a HSQC spectrum could be achieved for a protein sample, while a NOESY spectrum could not be obtained. An ultra-compact 1.2GHz NMR magnet could be realized if we effectively take advantage of REBCO conductors, although this will require further research to suppress the effect of the screening current. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Characterization and Recovery of Rare Earths from Coal and By-Products

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Granite, Evan J.; Roth, Elliot; Alvin, Mary Anne

    Coal is a precious resource, both in the United States and around the world. The United States has a 250-year supply of coal, and generates between 30 - 40% of its electricity through coal combustion. Approximately 1 Gt of coal has been mined annually in the US, although the 2015 total will likely be closer to 900 Mt (http://www.eia.gov/coal/production/quarterly/). Most of the coal is burned for power generation, but substantial quantities are also employed in the manufacture of steel, chemicals, and activated carbons. Coal has a positive impact upon many industries, including mining, power, rail transportation, manufacturing, chemical, steel, activatedmore » carbon, and fuels. Everything that is in the earth’s crust is also present within coal to some extent, and the challenge is always to utilize abundant domestic coal in clean and environmentally friendly manners. In the case of the rare earths, these valuable and extraordinarily useful elements are present within the abundant coal and coal by-products produced domestically and world-wide. These materials include the coals, as well as the combustion by-products such as ashes, coal preparation wastes, gasification slags, and mining by-products. All of these materials can be viewed as potential sources of rare earth elements. Most of the common inorganic lanthanide compounds, such as the phosphates found in coal, have very high melting, boiling, and thermal decomposition temperatures, allowing them to concentrate in combustion and gasification by-products. Furthermore, rare earths have been found in interesting concentrations in the strata above and below certain coal seams. Much of the recent research on coal utilization in the United States has focused upon the capture of pollutants such as acid gases, particulates, and mercury, and the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The possible recovery of rare earth and other critical elements from abundant coal and by-products is an exciting new research area

  15. Rare-earth metal oxide doped transparent mesoporous silica plates under non-aqueous condition as a potential UV sensor.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang-Joon; Park, Sung Soo; Lee, Sang Hyun; Hong, Sang-Hyun; Ha, Chang-Sik

    2013-11-01

    Transparent mesoporous silica plates doped with rare-earth metal oxide were prepared using solvent-evaporation method based on the self-organization between structure-directing agent and silicate in a non-aqueous solvent. A triblock copolymer, Pluronic (F127 or P123), was used as the structure-directing agent, while tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as a silica source. The pore diameter and the surface area of the mesoporous silica plate prepared with the optimized conditions were ca 40 A and 600 m2 g(-1), respectively, for both structure-directing agent. Rare-earth metal oxides (Eu, Tb, Tm oxide) in mesochannel were formed via one-step synthetic route based on the preparation method of a silica plate. Optical properties of rare-earth metal oxide-doped mesoporous silica plates were investigated by UV irradiation and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Under the exitation wavelength of 254 nm, the doped mesoporous silica plates emitted red, green and blue for Eu, Tb and Tm oxides, respectively. Rare-earth metal oxide-doped mesoporous silica plates showed enhanced PL intensity compared to that of the bulk rare-earth metal oxide.

  16. Self-interaction-corrected local-spin-density calculations for rare earth materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Svane, A.; Temmerman, W.M.; Szotek, Z.

    2000-04-20

    The ab initio self-interaction-corrected (SIC) local-spin-density (LSD) approximation is discussed with emphasis on the ability to describe localized f-electron states in rare earth solids. Two methods for minimizing the SIC-LSD total energy functional are discussed, one using a unified Hamiltonian for all electron states, thus having the advantages of Bloch's theorem, the other one employing an iterative scheme in real space. Results for cerium and cerium compounds as well as other rare earths are presented. For the cerium compounds the onset of f-electron delocalization can be accurately described, including the intricate isostructural phase transitions in elemental cerium and CeP. Inmore » Pr and Sm the equilibrium lattice constant and zero temperature equation of state is greatly improved in comparison with the LSD results.« less

  17. (BRI) Direct and Inverse Design Optimization of Magnetic Alloys with Minimized Use of Rare Earth Elements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-02

    Earths ”, MS&T15-Materials Science and Technology 2015 Conference, Columbus, Ohio, October 4-8, 2015. 3. Dulikrvich, G.S., Reddy, S., Orlande, H.R.B...Schwartz, J.and Koch, C.C., “Multi-Objective Design and Optimization of Hard Magnetic Alloys Free of Rare Earths ”, MS&T15-Materials Science and Technology...AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0091 (BRI) Direct and Inverse Design Optimization of Magnetic Alloys with Minimized Use of Rare Earth Elements George

  18. Value analysis of neodymium content in shredder feed: toward enabling the feasibility of rare earth magnet recycling.

    PubMed

    Bandara, H M Dhammika; Darcy, Julia W; Apelian, Diran; Emmert, Marion H

    2014-06-17

    In order to facilitate the development of recycling technologies for rare earth magnets from postconsumer products, we present herein an analysis of the neodymium (Nd) content in shredder scrap. This waste stream has been chosen on the basis of current business practices for the recycling of steel, aluminum, and copper from cars and household appliances, which contain significant amounts of rare earth magnets. Using approximations based on literature data, we have calculated the average Nd content in the ferrous shredder product stream to be between 0.13 and 0.29 kg per ton of ferrous scrap. A value analysis considering rare earth metal prices between 2002 and 2013 provides values between $1.32 and $145 per ton of ferrous scrap for this material, if recoverable as pure Nd metal. Furthermore, we present an analysis of the content and value of other rare earths (Pr, Dy, Tb).

  19. Distribution and Geochemistry of Rare-Earth Elements in Rivers of Southern and Eastern Primorye (Far East of Russia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chudaev, O. V.; Bragin, I. V.; A, Kharitonova N.; Chelnokov, G. A.

    2016-03-01

    The distribution and geochemistry of rare earth elements (REE) in anthropogenic, technogenic and natural surface waters of southern and eastern Primorye, Far East of Russia, are presented in this study. The obtained results indicated that most of REE (up to 70%) were transported as suspended matter, ratio between dissolved and suspended forms varing from the source to the mouth of rivers. It is shown that all REE (except Ce) in the source of the rivers are predominantly presented in dissolved form, however, the content of light and heavy REE is different. Short-term enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREE) caused by REE-rich runoff from waste dumps and mining is neutralized by the increase in river flow rate. Rivers in urban areas are characterized by high content of LREE in dissolved form and very low in suspended one.

  20. Note: Ultra-low birefringence dodecagonal vacuum glass cell

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brakhane, Stefan, E-mail: brakhane@iap.uni-bonn.de; Alt, Wolfgang; Meschede, Dieter

    We report on an ultra-low birefringence dodecagonal glass cell for ultra-high vacuum applications. The epoxy-bonded trapezoidal windows of the cell are made of SF57 glass, which exhibits a very low stress-induced birefringence. We characterize the birefringence Δn of each window with the cell under vacuum conditions, obtaining values around 10{sup −8}. After baking the cell at 150 °C, we reach a pressure below 10{sup −10} mbar. In addition, each window is antireflection coated on both sides, which is highly desirable for quantum optics experiments and precision measurements.

  1. Semiconductor sensor for optically measuring polarization rotation of optical wavefronts using rare earth iron garnets

    DOEpatents

    Duncan, Paul G.

    2002-01-01

    Described are the design of a rare earth iron garnet sensor element, optical methods of interrogating the sensor element, methods of coupling the optical sensor element to a waveguide, and an optical and electrical processing system for monitoring the polarization rotation of a linearly polarized wavefront undergoing external modulation due to magnetic field or electrical current fluctuation. The sensor element uses the Faraday effect, an intrinsic property of certain rare-earth iron garnet materials, to rotate the polarization state of light in the presence of a magnetic field. The sensor element may be coated with a thin-film mirror to effectively double the optical path length, providing twice the sensitivity for a given field strength or temperature change. A semiconductor sensor system using a rare earth iron garnet sensor element is described.

  2. Separation of rare earths from transition metals by liquid-liquid extraction from a molten salt hydrate to an ionic liquid phase.

    PubMed

    Rout, Alok; Binnemans, Koen

    2014-02-28

    The solvent extraction of trivalent rare-earth ions and their separation from divalent transition metal ions using molten salt hydrates as the feed phase and an undiluted fluorine-free ionic liquid as the extracting phase were investigated in detail. The extractant was tricaprylmethylammonium nitrate, [A336][NO3], and the hydrated melt was calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, Ca(NO3)2·4H2O. The extraction behavior of rare-earth ions was studied for solutions of individual elements, as well as for mixtures of rare earths in the hydrated melt. The influence of different extraction parameters was investigated: the initial metal loading in the feed phase, percentage of water in the feed solution, equilibration time, and the type of hydrated melt. The extraction of rare earths from Ca(NO3)2·4H2O was compared with extraction from CaCl2·4H2O by [A336][Cl] (Aliquat 336). The nitrate system was found to be the better one. The extraction and separation of rare earths from the transition metals nickel, cobalt and zinc were also investigated. Remarkably high separation factors of rare-earth ions over transition metal ions were observed for extraction from Ca(NO3)2·4H2O by the [A336][NO3] extracting phase. Furthermore, rare-earth ions could be separated efficiently from transition metal ions, even in melts with very high concentrations of transition metal ions. Rare-earth oxides could be directly dissolved in the Ca(NO3)2·4H2O phase in the presence of small amounts of Al(NO3)3·9H2O or concentrated nitric acid. The efficiency of extraction after dissolving the rare-earth oxides in the hydrated nitrate melt was identical to extraction from solutions with rare-earth nitrates dissolved in the molten phase. The stripping of the rare-earth ions from the loaded ionic liquid phase and the reuse of the recycled ionic liquid were also investigated in detail.

  3. Current status and recent topics of rare-earth permanent magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugimoto, S.

    2011-02-01

    After the development of Nd-Fe-B magnets, rare-earth magnets are now essential components in many fields of technology, because of their ability to provide a strong magnetic flux. There are two, well-established techniques for the manufacture of rare earth magnets: powder metallurgy is used to obtain high-performance, anisotropic, fully dense magnet bodies; and the melt-spinning or HDDR (hydrogenation, disproportionation, desorption and recombination) process is widely used to produce magnet powders for bonded magnets. In the industry of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets, the total amount of production has increased and their dominant application has been changed to motors. In particular, their use for motors in hybrid cars is one of the most attractive applications. Bonded magnets have also been used for small motors, and the studies of nanocomposite and Sm-Fe-N magnets have become widespread. This paper reviews the current status and future trend in the research of permanent magnets.

  4. Rare-earth magnet ingestion-related injuries among children, 2000-2012.

    PubMed

    De Roo, Ana C; Thompson, Meghan C; Chounthirath, Thiphalak; Xiang, Huiyun; Cowles, Nancy A; Shmuylovskaya, Liliya; Smith, Gary A

    2013-11-01

    This study describes the epidemiology of rare-earth magnet ingestion by children by retrospectively analyzing 72 cases of magnet ingestion collected from Saferproducts.gov and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission from 2000 through 2012. The mean child age was 6.4 years. Patients ingested between 1 and 40 magnets, most often 1 to 4 magnets. Unique circumstances of ingestion included faux piercing (19.4%) and mistaking magnets for candy (6.9%). Surgery was required in 69.7% of cases where treatment was reported. Fifty-three patients were hospitalized (73.6%), and the length of hospital stay was reported in 58.5% of those cases, ranging from 1 to 54 days. Approximately half (50.7%) of the magnets causing injury were products intended for use by adults. Study findings demonstrate that pediatric ingestion of rare-earth magnets can cause serious gastrointestinal injury. Establishing a performance standard that limits the attraction force of these magnets offers the best prevention solution to this important pediatric public health problem.

  5. Gamma-ray spectrometry of ultra low levels of radioactivity within the material screening program for the GERDA experiment.

    PubMed

    Budjás, D; Gangapshev, A M; Gasparro, J; Hampel, W; Heisel, M; Heusser, G; Hult, M; Klimenko, A A; Kuzminov, V V; Laubenstein, M; Maneschg, W; Simgen, H; Smolnikov, A A; Tomei, C; Vasiliev, S I

    2009-05-01

    In present and future experiments in the field of rare events physics a background index of 10(-3) counts/(keV kg a) or better in the region of interest is envisaged. A thorough material screening is mandatory in order to achieve this goal. The results of a systematic study of radioactive trace impurities in selected materials using ultra low-level gamma-ray spectrometry in the framework of the GERDA experiment are reported.

  6. Geology and description of thorium and rare-earth deposits in the southern Bear Lodge Mountains, northeastern Wyoming

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Staatz, M.H.

    1983-01-01

    The Bear Lodge Mountains are a small northerly trending range approximately 16 km northwest of the Black Hills in the northeast corner of Wyoming. Thorium and rare-earth deposits occur over an area of 16 km 2 in the southern part of these mountains. These deposits occur in the core of the Bear Lodge dome in a large multiple intrusive body made up principally of trachyte and phonolite. Two types of deposits are recognized: disseminated deposits and veins. The disseminated deposits are made up of altered igneous rocks cut by numerous crisscrossing veinlets. The disseminated deposits contain thorium and rare-earth minerals in a matrix consisting principally of potassium feldspar, quartz, and iron and manganese oxides. Total rare-earth content of these deposits is about 27 times that of the thorium content. The general size and shape of the disseminated deposits were outlined by making a radiometric map using a scintillation counter of the entire Bear Lodge core, an area of approximately 30 km 2 . The most favorable part of this area, which was outlined by the 40 countJs (count-per-second) isograd on the radiometric map, was sampled in detail. A total of 341 samples were taken over an area of 10.6 km 2 and analyzed for as many as 60 elements. Rare earths and thorium are the principal commodities of interest in these deposits. Total rare-earth content of these samples ranged from 47 to 27,145 ppm (parts per million), and the thorium content from 9.3 to 990 ppm. The amount of total rare earths of individual samples shows little correlation with that of thorium. Contour maps were constructed using the analytical data for total rare earths, thorium, uranium, and potassium. The total rare-earth and thorium maps can be used to define the size of the deposits based on what cut-off grade may be needed during mining. The size is large as the 2,000 ppm total rare-earth isograd encloses several areas that total 3.22 km 2 in size, and the 200 ppm thorium isograd encloses several

  7. Rare earth element mineralogy, geochemistry, and preliminary resource assessment of the Khanneshin carbonatite complex, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tucker, Robert D.; Belkin, Harvey E.; Schulz, Klaus J.; Peters, Stephen G.; Buttleman, Kim P.

    2011-01-01

    There is increased concern about the future availability of rare earth elements (REE) because of China's dominance as the supplier of more than 95 percent of world REE output, their decision to restrict exports of rare earth products, and the rapid increase in world-wide consumption of rare earth product. As a result, countries such as the United States, Japan, and member nations of the European Union face a future of tight supplies and high prices for rare earth products unless other sources of REE are found and developed (Long and others, 2010; U.S. Geological Survey, 2011, p. 128-129, 184-185). We report and describe a significant new deposit of light rare earth elements (LREE), estimated at 1 Mt, within the Khanneshin carbonatite complex of south Afghanistan. The potential resource is located in a remote and rugged part of the igneous complex in a region previously identified by Soviet geologists in the 1970s. This report reviews the geologic setting of LREE deposit, presents new geochemical data documenting the grade of LREE mineralization, briefly describes the mineralogy and mineralogical associations of the deposit, and presents a preliminary estimate of LREE resources based on our current understanding of the geology.

  8. METHOD OF SEPARATING TETRAVALENT PLUTONIUM VALUES FROM CERIUM SUB-GROUP RARE EARTH VALUES

    DOEpatents

    Duffield, R.B.; Stoughton, R.W.

    1959-02-01

    A method is presented for separating plutonium from the cerium sub-group of rare earths when both are present in an aqueous solution. The method consists in adding an excess of alkali metal carbonate to the solution, which causes the formation of a soluble plutonium carbonate precipitate and at the same time forms an insoluble cerium-group rare earth carbonate. The pH value must be adjusted to bctween 5.5 and 7.5, and prior to the precipitation step the plutonium must be reduced to the tetravalent state since only tetravalent plutonium will form the soluble carbonate complex.

  9. Enhanced near-infrared photoacoustic imaging of silica-coated rare-earth doped nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Sheng, Yang; Liao, Lun-De; Bandla, Aishwarya; Liu, Yu-Hang; Yuan, Jun; Thakor, Nitish; Tan, Mei Chee

    2017-01-01

    Near-infrared photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging diagnostic technology that utilizes the tissue transparent window to achieve improved contrast and spatial resolution for deep tissue imaging. In this study, we investigated the enhancement effect of the SiO 2 shell on the PA property of our core/shell rare-earth nanoparticles (REs) consisting of an active rare-earth doped core of NaYF 4 :Yb,Er (REDNPs) and an undoped NaYF 4 shell. We observed that the PA signal amplitude increased with SiO 2 shell thickness. Although the SiO 2 shell caused an observed decrease in the integrated fluorescence intensity due to the dilution effect, fluorescence quenching of the rare earth emitting ions within the REDNPs cores was successfully prevented by the undoped NaYF 4 shell. Therefore, our multilayer structure consisting of an active core with successive functional layers was demonstrated to be an effective design for dual-modal fluorescence and PA imaging probes with improved PA property. The result from this work addresses a critical need for the development of dual-modal contrast agent that advances deep tissue imaging with high resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Rare Earth Arylsilazido Compounds with Inequivalent Secondary Interactions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Boteju, Kasuni Chathurika; Wan, Suchen; Venkatesh, Amrit

    Here, a new bulky silazido ligand, –N(SiHMe 2)Dipp (Dipp = C 6H 3-2,6- iPr 2) supports planar, three-coordinate homoleptic rare earth complexes Ln{N(SiHMe 2)Dipp} 3 (Ln = Sc, Y, Lu) that each contain three secondary Ln←HSi interactions and one agostic CH bond. Y{N(SiHMe 2)Dipp} 3 and acetophenone react via hydrosilylation, rather than by insertion into the Y–N bond or enolate formation.

  11. Rare Earth Arylsilazido Compounds with Inequivalent Secondary Interactions

    DOE PAGES

    Boteju, Kasuni Chathurika; Wan, Suchen; Venkatesh, Amrit; ...

    2018-06-05

    Here, a new bulky silazido ligand, –N(SiHMe 2)Dipp (Dipp = C 6H 3-2,6- iPr 2) supports planar, three-coordinate homoleptic rare earth complexes Ln{N(SiHMe 2)Dipp} 3 (Ln = Sc, Y, Lu) that each contain three secondary Ln←HSi interactions and one agostic CH bond. Y{N(SiHMe 2)Dipp} 3 and acetophenone react via hydrosilylation, rather than by insertion into the Y–N bond or enolate formation.

  12. The Marine Geochemistry of the Rare Earth Elements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-09-01

    C3): 2045-2056. BACON, M.P., P.G. BREWER, D.W. SPENCER, T.W. MURRAY & T. GODDARD (1980). Lead - 210 , polonium - 210 , manganese and iron in the Cariaco...191 La and Pr 197 Ce: its oxidation and reduction 197 Eu 207 4.5. Conclusions 210 CHAPTER 5. Behaviour of the Rare Earth Elements in anoxic waters of...seawater and algal food . When the radioactive particles were no longer available, the accumulated radioactivity of the zooplankters was rapidly lost

  13. A miniature single element effusion cell for the vacuum deposition of transition-metal and rare-earth elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, V. G.; Koon, N. C.

    1997-08-01

    A miniature single element effusion cell has been fabricated and tested that allows for the high-vacuum deposition of a variety of transition-metal and rare-earth elements. The cell is designed to operate under high-vacuum conditions, ≈10-9 Torr, with low power demands, <200 W. The virtues of this evaporator are the simplicity of design and ease of fabrication, assembly, maintenance, and operation.

  14. Preliminary reconnaissance survey for thorium, uranium, and rare-earth oxides, Bear Lodge Mountains, Crook County, Wyoming

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilmarth, V.R.; Johnson, D.H.

    1953-01-01

    An area about 6 miles north of Sundance, in the Bear Lodge Mountains, in Crook County, Wyo., was examined during August 1950 for thorium, uranium, and rare-earth oxides and samples were collected. Uranium is known to occur in fluorite veins and iron-manganese veins and in the igneous rocks of Tertiary age that compose the core of the Bear Lodge Mountains. The uranium content of the samples ranges from 0.001 to 0.015 percent in those from the fluorite veins, from 0.005 to 0.018 percent in those from the iron-manganese veins, and from 0.001 to 0.017 percent in those from the igneous rocks. The radioactivity of the samples is more than that expected from the uranium content. Thorium accounts for most of this discrepancy. The thorium oxide content of samples ranges from 0.07 to 0.25 percent in those from the iron-manganese veins and from 0.07 to 0.39 percent in those from the sedimentary rocks, and from0.04 to 0.30 in those from the igneous rocks. Rare-earth oxides occur in iron-manganese veins and in zones of altered igneous rocks. The veins contain from 0.16 to 12.99 percent rare-earth oxides, and the igneous rocks, except for two localities, contain from 0.01 to 0.42 percent rare-earth oxides. Inclusions of metamorphosed sedimentary rocks in the intrusive rocks contain from 0.07 to 2.01 percent rare-earth oxides.

  15. Syntheses of new rare earth complexes with carboxymethylated polysaccharides and evaluation of their in vitro antifungal activities.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiaobo; Jin, Xiaozhe; Pan, Wei; Wang, Jinping

    2014-11-26

    In the present paper, La, Eu and Yb were selected to represent light, middle and heavy rare earths to form complexes with polysaccharides through chelating coordination of carboxyl groups, which were added into polysaccharide chains by means of carboxymethylation. Their antifungal activities against plant pathogenic fungi were evaluated using growth rate method. These rare earth complexes exhibited various antifungal activities against the tested fungi, depending on rare earth elements, polysaccharide types and fungal species. Among these three metal elements (i.e. La, Eu and Yb), Yb formed the complexes with the most effective antifungal properties. Furthermore, the results showed that ligands of carboxymethylated polysaccharides played a key role in promoting cytotoxicity of the rare earth complexes. Carboxymethylated Ganoderma applanatum polysaccharide (CGAP) was found to be the most effective ligand to form complexes with antifungal activities, followed by carboxymethylated lentinan (CLNT) and carboxymethylated Momordica charantia polysaccharide (CMCP). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Dual Functionalization of White Phosphorus: Formation, Characterization, and Reactivity of Rare-Earth-Metal Cyclo-P3 Complexes.

    PubMed

    Du, Shanshan; Yin, Jianhao; Chi, Yue; Xu, Ling; Zhang, Wen-Xiong

    2017-12-11

    The [3+1] fragmentation reaction of rare-earth metallacyclopentadienes 1 a-c with 0.5 equivalents of P 4 affords a series of rare-earth metal cyclo-P 3 complexes 2 a-c and a phospholyl anion 3. 2 a-c demonstrate an unusual η 3 coordination mode with one P-P bond featuring partial π-bonding character. 2 a-c are the first cyclo-P 3 complexes of rare-earth metals, and also the first organo-substituted polyphosphides in the category of Group 3 and f-block elements. Rare-earth metallacyclopentadienes play a dual role in the combination of aromatization and Diels-Alder reaction. Compounds 2 a-c can coordinate to one or two [W(CO) 5 ] units, yielding 4 a-c or 5 c, respectively. Furthermore, oxidation of 2 a with p-benzoquinone produces its corresponding phospholyllithium and regenerated P 4 . © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Sustainability evaluation of essential critical raw materials: cobalt, niobium, tungsten and rare earth elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tkaczyk, A. H.; Bartl, A.; Amato, A.; Lapkovskis, V.; Petranikova, M.

    2018-05-01

    The criticality of raw materials has become an important issue in recent years. As the supply of certain raw materials is essential for technologically-advanced economies, the European Commission and other international counterparts have started several initiatives to secure reliable and unhindered access to raw materials. Such efforts include the EU Raw Materials Initiative, European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials, US Critical Materials Institute, and others. In this paper, the authors present a multi-faceted and multi-national review of the essentials for the critical raw materials (CRMs) Co, Nb, W, and rare earth elements (REEs). The selected CRMs are of specific interest as they are considered relevant for emerging technologies and will thus continue to be of increasing major economic importance. This paper presents a ‘sustainability evaluation’ for each element, including essential data about markets, applications and recycling, and possibilities for substitution have been summarized and analysed. All the presented elements are vital for the advanced materials and processes upon which modern societies rely. These elements exhibit superior importance in ‘green’ applications and products subject to severe conditions. The annual production quantities are quite low compared to common industrial metals. Of the considered CRMs, only Co and REE gross production exceed 100 000 t. At the same time, the prices are quite high, with W and Nb being in the range of 60 USD kg‑1 and some rare earth compounds costing almost 4000 USD kg‑1. Despite valiant effort, in practice some of the considered elements are de facto irreplaceable for many specialized applications, at today’s technological level. Often, substitution causes a significant loss of quality and performance. Furthermore, possible candidates for substitution may be critical themselves or available in considerably low quantities. It can be concluded that one preferred approach for the

  18. Application of solid phase extraction procedures for rare earth elements determination in environmental samples.

    PubMed

    Pyrzynska, Krystyna; Kubiak, Anna; Wysocka, Irena

    2016-07-01

    Determination of rare earth elements in environmental samples requires often pre-concentration and separation step due to a low metal content and high concentration of the interfering matrix components. A solid phase extraction technique with different kind of solid sorbents offers a high enrichment factor, rapid phase separation and the possibility of its combination with various detection techniques used either in on-line or off-line mode. The recent developments in this area published over the last five years are presented and discussed in this paper. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Precision analysis of the photomultiplier response to ultra low signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Degtiarenko, Pavel

    2017-11-01

    A new computational model for the description of the photon detector response functions measured in conditions of low light is presented, together with examples of the observed photomultiplier signal amplitude distributions, successfully described using the parameterized model equation. In extension to the previously known approximations, the new model describes the underlying discrete statistical behavior of the photoelectron cascade multiplication processes in photon detectors with complex non-uniform gain structure of the first dynode. Important features of the model include the ability to represent the true single-photoelectron spectra from different photomultipliers with a variety of parameterized shapes, reflecting the variability in the design and in the individual parameters of the detectors. The new software tool is available for evaluation of the detectors' performance, response, and efficiency parameters that may be used in various applications including the ultra low background experiments such as the searches for Dark Matter and rare decays, underground neutrino studies, optimizing operations of the Cherenkov light detectors, help in the detector selection procedures, and in the experiment simulations.

  20. Precision analysis of the photomultiplier response to ultra low signals

    DOE PAGES

    Degtiarenko, Pavel

    2017-08-05

    Here, a new computational model for the description of the photon detector response functions measured in conditions of low light is presented, together with examples of the observed photomultiplier signal amplitude distributions, successfully described using the parameterized model equation. In extension to the previously known approximations, the new model describes the underlying discrete statistical behavior of the photoelectron cascade multiplication processes in photon detectors with complex non-uniform gain structure of the first dynode. Important features of the model include the ability to represent the true single-photoelectron spectra from different photomultipliers with a variety of parameterized shapes, reflecting the variability inmore » the design and in the individual parameters of the detectors. The new software tool is available for evaluation of the detectors’ performance, response, and efficiency parameters that may be used in various applications including the ultra low background experiments such as the searches for Dark Matter and rare decays, underground neutrino studies, optimizing operations of the Cherenkov light detectors, help in the detector selection procedures, and in the experiment simulations.« less

  1. Fractionation of rare-earth elements in allanite and monazite as related to geology of the Mt. Wheeler mine area, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lee, D.E.; Bastron, H.

    1967-01-01

    Rare-earth contents of 20 allanites and 13 monazites, accessory minerals from a restricted outcrop area of intrusive granitic rocks, are reported. A quantity called sigma (??), which is the sum of the atomic percentages of La, Ce and Pr, is used as an index of composition with respect to the rare-earth elements. Values of sigma vary from 61.3 to 80.9 at.% for these allanites and monazites, representing an appreciable range of composition in terms of the rare-earth elements. Degree of fractionation of rare earths varies directly with CaO content of the granitic rocks, which in turn depends largely on proximity of limestone. Four xenoliths included in the study suggest that spotty mosaic equilibria are superimposed on the regional gradients and that locally the degree of fractionation of rare earths responds to whole rock composition over distances of a few yards or less. The chemistry of the granitic rocks under study appears to be similar in some respects to that of alkalio rocks and carbonatites. Allanites from the most calcium-rich rocks show a pronounced concentration of the most basic rare earths, and whole-rock concentrations of such rare constituents as total cerium earths, Zr, F, Ti, Ba and Sr increase sympathetically with whole-rock calcium. The explanation for the concentration gradients observed in this chemical system must involve assimilation more than magmatic differentiation. ?? 1967.

  2. Theoretical Study of pKa Values for Trivalent Rare-Earth Metal Cations in Aqueous Solution.

    PubMed

    Yu, Donghai; Du, Ruobing; Xiao, Ji-Chang; Xu, Shengming; Rong, Chunying; Liu, Shubin

    2018-01-18

    Molecular acidity of trivalent rare-earth metal cations in aqueous solution is an important factor dedicated to the efficiency of their extraction and separation processes. In this work, the aqueous acidity of these metal ions has been quantitatively investigated using a few theoretical approaches. Our computational results expressed in terms of pK a values agree well with the tetrad effect of trivalent rare-earth ions extensively reported in the extraction and separation of these elements. Strong linear relationships have been observed between the acidity and quantum electronic descriptors such as the molecular electrostatic potential on the acidic nucleus and the sum of the valence natural atomic orbitals energies of the dissociating proton. Making use of the predicted pK a values, we have also predicted the major ionic forms of these species in the aqueous environment with different pH values, which can be employed to rationalize the behavior difference of different rare-earth metal cations during the extraction process. Our present results should provide needed insights not only for the qualitatively understanding about the extraction and separation between yttrium and lanthanide elements but also for the prediction of novel and more efficient rare-earth metal extractants in the future.

  3. Rare earth elements in Hamersley BIF minerals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alibert, Chantal

    2016-07-01

    Minerals from the Hamersley banded iron formation, Western Australia, were analyzed for Y and rare earth elements (YREEs) by laser ablation ICP-MS to investigate diagenetic pathways, from precursor phases to BIF minerals. One group of apatites carries the seawater REE signature, giving evidence that P and REEs, thoroughly scavenged from the water column by Si-ferrihydrite particles, were released upon microbial Fe3+ reductive dissolution of Si-ferrihydrite in pore-water and finally sequestered mainly in authigenic apatite. The absence of fractionation between apatite and seawater suggests that REE were first incorporated into an amorphous calcium phosphate as fully hydrated cations, i.e. as outer-sphere complexes. The iron oxides and carbonates carry only a small fraction of the whole-rock REE budget. Their REE patterns are distinctly enriched in Yb and show some M-type tetrad effect consistent with experimental Kd(REE) between solid and saline solution with low carbonate ion concentrations. It is deduced that hematite formed at an incipient stage of Fe2+-catalyzed dissolution of Si-ferrihydrite, via a dissolution-reprecipitation pathway. The REE pattern of greenalite, found as sub-micron particles in quartz in a chert-siderite sample, is consistent with its authigenic origin by precipitation in pore-water after dissolution of a small amount of Si-ferrihydrite. Magnetite carries very low YREEs (ppb-level), has an homogeneous pattern distinctly enriched in the mid-REEs compared to hematite, and includes a late population depleted in light-REEs, Ba and As. Magnetite forming aggregates and massive laminae is tentatively interpreted as reflecting some fluid-aided hematite-magnetite re-equilibration or transformation at low-grade metamorphic temperatures.

  4. Global demand for rare earth resources and strategies for green mining

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dutta, Tanushree

    Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential raw materials for emerging renewable energy resources and ‘smart’ electronic devices. Global REE demand is slated to grow at an annual rate of 5% by 2020. This high growth rate will require a steady supply base of REEs in the long run. At present, China is responsible for 85% of global rare earth oxide (REO) production. To overcome this monopolistic supply situation, new strategies and investments are necessary to satisfy domestic supply demands. Concurrently, environmental, economic, and social problems arising from REE mining must be addressed. There is an urgent need to develop efficientmore » REE recycling techniques from end-of-life products, technologies to minimize the amount of REEs required per unit device, and methods to recover them from fly ash or fossil fuel-burning wastes.« less

  5. Global demand for rare earth resources and strategies for green mining.

    PubMed

    Dutta, Tanushree; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Uchimiya, Minori; Kwon, Eilhann E; Jeon, Byong-Hun; Deep, Akash; Yun, Seong-Taek

    2016-10-01

    Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential raw materials for emerging renewable energy resources and 'smart' electronic devices. Global REE demand is slated to grow at an annual rate of 5% by 2020. This high growth rate will require a steady supply base of REEs in the long run. At present, China is responsible for 85% of global rare earth oxide (REO) production. To overcome this monopolistic supply situation, new strategies and investments are necessary to satisfy domestic supply demands. Concurrently, environmental, economic, and social problems arising from REE mining must be addressed. There is an urgent need to develop efficient REE recycling techniques from end-of-life products, technologies to minimize the amount of REEs required per unit device, and methods to recover them from fly ash or fossil fuel-burning wastes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Study on the light-color mixing of rare earth luminescent materials for anti-counterfeiting application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jishu; Zhang, Yingzi; Tao, Jin; Zhu, Yanan

    2018-04-01

    In order to find out the light color mixing mechanism of rare earth luminescent materials used in anti-counterfeiting fibers, we prepared three kinds of rare earth luminescent materials according to RGB tri-primary color, and mixed it together to form different mixtures in certain proportion. The phase structures of the luminescent material monomers were measured by x-ray diffractometer. The photochromic properties of the luminescent materials were tested and analyzed by fluorescence spectrophotometer. The results show that the light color mixing was consistent with the blending principle of additive color, but not the same because of the photochromic properties of rare earth luminescent materials, and we explored the reasons in the light wavelength and intensity. It was found that the enhancement of the luminescence intensity of the mixture on account of the superimposing of luminescence.

  7. High Temperature Chemistry of Rare Earth Compounds: Dramatic Examples of Periodicity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cater, E. David

    1978-01-01

    Reports that energy required to promote a 4f electron to the 5d level has a profound and predictable influence on the systematics of reactions involving conversion of rare earth atoms from combined to free states. (Author/MA)

  8. Scintillation of rare earth doped fluoride nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jacobsohn, L. G.; McPherson, C. L.; Sprinkle, K. B.; Yukihara, E. G.; DeVol, T. A.; Ballato, J.

    2011-09-01

    The scintillation response of rare earth (RE) doped core/undoped (multi-)shell fluoride nanoparticles was investigated under x-ray and alpha particle irradiation. A significant enhancement of the scintillation response was observed with increasing shells due: (i) to the passivation of surface quenching defects together with the activation of the REs on the surface of the core nanoparticle after the growth of a shell, and (ii) to the increase of the volume of the nanoparticles. These results are expected to reflect a general aspect of the scintillation process in nanoparticles, and to impact radiation sensing technologies that make use of nanoparticles.

  9. Molten metal containment vessel with rare earth oxysulfide protective coating thereon and method of making same

    DOEpatents

    Krikorian, Oscar H.; Curtis, Paul G.

    1992-01-01

    An improved molten metal containment vessel is disclosed in which wetting of the vessel's inner wall surfaces by molten metal is inhibited by coating at least the inner surfaces of the containment vessel with one or more rare earth oxysulfide or rare earth sulfide compounds to inhibit wetting and or adherence by the molten metal to the surfaces of the containment vessel.

  10. Rare earth elements in human hair from a mining area of China.

    PubMed

    Wei, Binggan; Li, Yonghua; Li, Hairong; Yu, Jiangping; Ye, Bixiong; Liang, Tao

    2013-10-01

    Rare earth minerals have been mined for more than 50 years in Inner Mongolia of China. In the mining area rare earth elements (REE) may be significantly accumulated in humans. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to characterize the REE concentrations in hair of local residents. REE concentrations in hair of 118 subjects were determined. The results showed that the mean concentrations of the determined REE in the hair of both females and males were usually higher from mining area than from control area. The mean concentrations of all the fifteen REE were much higher in hair of males than in hair of females from mining area. This suggested that males might be more sensitive to REE than females. In addition, the mean contents of the REE in hair of miners, particularly light REE (La, Ce, Pr and Nd), were usually much higher than the values in hair of non-miners from both mining area and control area, indicating that the miners were exposed to higher concentrations of REE in occupational environment. Among age groups, the relationships between REE concentrations and age groups showed that more and more concentrations of light REE accumulated in body of both females and males with age until 60 years, while heavy REE concentrations decreased with age in males who were exposed to low concentrations of heavy REE. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Trade Group Rules Against China in Rare Earths Dispute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showstack, Randy

    2014-04-01

    The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against China in a trade dispute over rare earth elements (REE) as well as tungsten and molybdenum, the group announced on 26 March. The European Union, Japan, and the United States brought trade cases against China in March 2012 concerning alleged unfair export restraints on the materials (see Eos, 93(13), 134-135, doi:10.1029/2012EO130002).

  12. STABILIZED RARE EARTH OXIDES FOR A CONTROL ROD AND METHOD OF PREPARATION

    DOEpatents

    McNees, R.A.; Potter, R.A.

    1964-01-14

    A method is given for preparing mixed oxides of the formula MR/sub x/O/ sub 12/ wherein M is tungsten or molybdenum and R is a rare earth in the group consisting of samarium, europium, dysprosium, and gadolinium and x is 4 to 5. Oxides of this formula, and particularly the europiumcontaining species, are useful as control rod material for water-cooled nuclear reactors owing to their stability, favorable nuclear properties, and resistance to hydration. These oxides may be utilized as a dispersion in a stainlesssteel matrix. Preparation of these oxides is effected by blending tungsten oxide or molybdenum oxide with a rare earth oxide, compressing the mixture, and firing at an elevated temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. (AEC)

  13. Not all Rare Earths are the Same to Microbes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujita, Y.; Reed, D. W.; St Jeor, J.; Das, G.; Anderko, A.

    2017-12-01

    Rare earth elements (REE) are important for modern technologies including smart phones and energy efficient lighting, electric and hybrid vehicles, and advanced wind turbines. Greater demand and usage of REE leads to increased potential for ecosystem impacts, as human activities generate higher concentrations of these metals through mining, industrial processing and waste generation than are normally present in natural environments. Biological modules in wastewater treatment plants are among the ecosystems likely to be impacted by higher REE loads because these poorly soluble metals often accumulate in sludges. We have been examining the effects of adding REE to laboratory cultures of Sporacetigenium mesophilum, a fermenting bacterium originally isolated from an anaerobic sludge digester. We observed that the addition of 60 µM ( 9 ppm) europium stimulated growth and hydrogen production by S. mesophilum. The addition of the equivalent amount of samarium, separately, appeared to be even more beneficial to S. mesophilum. However, when we measured soluble metal concentrations in the cultures, we found strikingly different results. After 24 hours, essentially all of the added Eu remained in the aqueous phase, but 60-65% of the added Sm was no longer soluble. To better understand the relationship between the solubility of REE and their impact on microbiological processes, a thermodynamic model was established for Eu and Sm species in simulated aqueous environments. The model was calibrated to reproduce the solubility of both crystalline and amorphous rare earth hydroxides, which control the availability of rare earths in solution. The primary factors influencing solubility are the solution pH, crystallinity of the hydroxide mineral and redox conditions. In the case of Eu, transition between trivalent and divalent cations occurs at moderate potentials and, therefore, it is possible that divalent cations contribute to the solubilization of Eu. In the case of Sm, divalent

  14. Static magnetic susceptibility, crystal field and exchange interactions in rare earth titanate pyrochlores.

    PubMed

    Malkin, B Z; Lummen, T T A; van Loosdrecht, P H M; Dhalenne, G; Zakirov, A R

    2010-07-14

    The experimental temperature dependence (T = 2-300 K) of single crystal bulk and site susceptibilities of rare earth titanate pyrochlores R(2)Ti(2)O(7) (R = Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb) is analyzed in the framework of crystal field theory and a mean field approximation. Analytical expressions for the site and bulk susceptibilities of the pyrochlore lattice are derived taking into account long range dipole-dipole interactions and anisotropic exchange interactions between the nearest neighbor rare earth ions. The sets of crystal field parameters and anisotropic exchange coupling constants have been determined and their variations along the lanthanide series are discussed.

  15. A combined calorimetric and computational study of the energetics of rare earth substituted UO 2 systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Lei; Solomon, Jonathan M.; Asta, Mark

    2015-09-01

    The energetics of rare earth substituted UO2 solid solutions (U1-xLnxO2-0.5x+y, where Ln = La, Y, and Nd) are investigated employing a combination of calorimetric measurements and density functional theory based computations. Calculated and measured formation enthalpies agree within 10 kJ/mol for stoichiometric oxygen/metal compositions. To better understand the factors governing the stability and defect binding in rare earth substituted urania solid solutions, systematic trends in the energetics are investigated based on the present results and previous computational and experimental thermochemical studies of rare earth substituted fluorite oxides (A1-xLnxO2-0.5x, where A = Hf, Zr, Ce, and Th). A consistent trend towardsmore » increased energetic stability with larger size mismatch between the smaller host tetravalent cation and the larger rare earth trivalent cation is found for both actinide and non-actinide fluorite oxide systems where aliovalent substitution of Ln cations is compensated by oxygen vacancies. However, the large exothermic oxidation enthalpy in the UO2 based systems favors oxygen rich compositions where charge compensation occurs through the formation of uranium cations with higher oxidation states.« less

  16. Ultra-low temperature curable nano-silver conductive adhesive for piezoelectric composite material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Chao; Liao, Qingwei; Zhou, Xingli; Wang, Likun; Zhong, Chao; Zhang, Di

    2018-01-01

    Limited by the low thermal resistance of composite material, ultra-low temperature curable conductive silver adhesive with curing temperature less than 100 °C needed urgently for the surface conduction treatment of piezoelectric composite material. An ultra-low temperature curable nano-silver conductive adhesive with high adhesion strength for the applications of piezoelectric composite material was investigated. The crystal structure of cured adhesive, SEM/EDS analysis, thermal analysis, adhesive properties and conductive properties of different content of nano-silver filler or micron-silver doping samples were studied. The results show that with 60 wt.% nano-silver filler the ultra-low temperature curable conductive silver adhesive had the relatively good conductivity as volume resistivity of 2.37 × 10-4 Ω cm, and good adhesion strength of 5.13 MPa. Minor micron-doping (below 15 wt.%) could improve conductivity, but would decrease other properties. The ultra-low temperature curable nano-silver conductive adhesive could successfully applied to piezoelectric composite material.

  17. Comparison of Low Earth Orbit and Geosynchronous Earth Orbits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Drummond, J. E.

    1980-01-01

    The technological, environmental, social, and political ramifications of low Earth orbits as compared to geosynchronous Earth orbits for the solar power satellite (SPS) are assessed. The capital cost of the transmitting facilities is dependent on the areas of the antenna and rectenna relative to the requirement of high efficiency power transmission. The salient features of a low orbit Earth orbits are discussed in terms of cost reduction efforts.

  18. Ultra-low dose naltrexone attenuates chronic morphine-induced gliosis in rats.

    PubMed

    Mattioli, Theresa-Alexandra M; Milne, Brian; Cahill, Catherine M

    2010-04-16

    The development of analgesic tolerance following chronic morphine administration can be a significant clinical problem. Preclinical studies demonstrate that chronic morphine administration induces spinal gliosis and that inhibition of gliosis prevents the development of analgesic tolerance to opioids. Many studies have also demonstrated that ultra-low doses of naltrexone inhibit the development of spinal morphine antinociceptive tolerance and clinical studies demonstrate that it has opioid sparing effects. In this study we demonstrate that ultra-low dose naltrexone attenuates glial activation, which may contribute to its effects on attenuating tolerance. Spinal cord sections from rats administered chronic morphine showed significantly increased immuno-labelling of astrocytes and microglia compared to saline controls, consistent with activation. 3-D images of astrocytes from animals administered chronic morphine had significantly larger volumes compared to saline controls. Co-injection of ultra-low dose naltrexone attenuated this increase in volume, but the mean volume differed from saline-treated and naltrexone-treated controls. Astrocyte and microglial immuno-labelling was attenuated in rats co-administered ultra-low dose naltrexone compared to morphine-treated rats and did not differ from controls. Glial activation, as characterized by immunohistochemical labelling and cell size, was positively correlated with the extent of tolerance developed. Morphine-induced glial activation was not due to cell proliferation as there was no difference observed in the total number of glial cells following chronic morphine treatment compared to controls. Furthermore, using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine, no increase in spinal cord cell proliferation was observed following chronic morphine administration. Taken together, we demonstrate a positive correlation between the prevention of analgesic tolerance and the inhibition of spinal gliosis by treatment with ultra-low dose naltrexone

  19. Rare Ultra-blue Stars Found in Neighboring Galaxy's Hub

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Image release January 11, 2012 A new Hubble Space Telescope image centers on the 100-million-solar-mass black hole at the hub of the neighboring spiral galaxy M31, or the Andromeda galaxy, one of the few galaxies outside the Milky Way visible to the naked eye and the only other giant galaxy in the Local Group. This is the sharpest visible-light image ever made of the nucleus of an external galaxy. The Hubble image is being presented today at the meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas. To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/ultra-blue.html NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  20. Experimental Parameters Affecting Stripping of Rare Earth Elements from Loaded Sorptive Media in Simulated Geothermal Brines

    DOE Data Explorer

    Dean Stull

    2016-05-24

    Experimental results from several studies exploring the impact of pH and acid volume on the stripping of rare earth elements (REEs) loaded onto ligand-based media via an active column. The REEs in this experiment were loaded onto the media through exposure to a simulated geothermal brine with known mineral concentrations. The data include the experiment results, rare earth element concentrations, and the experimental parameters varied.

  1. Traceable low and ultra-low temperatures in The Netherlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peruzzi, A.; Bosch, W. A.

    2009-02-01

    The basis for worldwide uniformity of low and ultra-low temperature measurements is provided by two international temperature scales, the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) for temperatures above 0.65 K and the Provisional Low Temperature Scale of 2000 (PLTS-2000) for temperatures in the range 0.9 mK to 1 K. Over the past 10 years, the thermometry research in the Netherlands provided substantial contributions to the definition, realization and dissemination of these scales. We first give an overview of the Dutch contributions to the ITS-90 realization: a) 3He and 4He vapour pressure thermometer range of the ITS-90, 0.65 K to 4 K (1997), b) 4He interpolating constant volume gas thermometry for the ITS-90 range 3 K to 24.5 K (2007) and c) cryogenic fixed points for the ITS-90 range 13.8 K to 273.16 K (2005). Then we highlight our work on 3He melting pressure thermometry from 10 mK to 1 K (2003) to support the dissemination of the PLTS-2000. Finally we present the current status of the Dutch calibration facilities and dissemination devices providing for traceable low and ultra-low temperatures for use in science and industry: a) the NMi-VSL cryogenic calibration facility for the range 0.65 K to 273.16 K and b) the SRD1000 superconductive reference devices for the range 10 mK to 1 K.

  2. Plateau on temperature dependence of magnetization of nanostructured rare earth titanates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rinkevich, A. B.; Korolev, A. V.; Samoylovich, M. I.; Demokritov, S. O.; Perov, D. V.

    2018-05-01

    Magnetic properties of nanocomposite materials containing particles of rare earth titanates of R2Ti2O7 type, where R is a rare earth ion, including "spin ice" materials are investigated. The descending branches of hysteresis loop have been studied in detail in temperature range from 2 to 50 K. It has been shown that nanocomposites with Yb2Ti2O7, Dy2Ti2O7 and Er2Ti2O7 particles have one intersection point of the descending branches in some temperature range unlike many other nanocomposites. It is shown that magnetization has only weak temperature dependence near this point. It has been obtained that nanocomposites with Pr2Ti2O7 and Nd2Ti2O7 particles have no hysteresis loop. All above findings point out to unusual magnetic structures of the studied samples.

  3. PAL spectroscopy of rare-earth doped Ga-Ge-Te/Se glasses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shpotyuk, Ya.; Ingram, A.; Shpotyuk, O.

    2016-04-01

    Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy was applied for the first time to study free-volume void evolution in chalcogenide glasses of Ga-Ge-Te/Se cut-section exemplified by glassy Ga10Ge15Te75 and Ga10Ge15Te72Se3 doped with 500 ppm of Tb3+ or Pr3+. The collected PAL spectra reconstructed within two-state trapping model reveal decaying tendency in positron trapping efficiency in these glasses under rare-earth doping. This effect results in unchanged or slightly increased defect-related lifetimes τ2 at the cost of more strong decrease in I2 intensities, as well as reduced positron trapping rate in defects and fraction of trapped positrons. Observed changes are ascribed to rare-earth activated elimination of intrinsic free volumes associated mainly with negatively-charged states of chalcogen atoms especially those neighboring with Ga-based polyhedrons.

  4. Correlation of an infrared absorption with carriers in rare-earth monoantimonides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwon, Y. S.; Jung, M. H.; Lee, K. R.; Kimura, S.; Suzuki, T.

    1997-09-01

    Dielectric constants spectra were obtained in the single crystals LaSb, PrSb, GdSb and DySb at several temperatures. The spectra for these crystals except for LaSb show Drude's behavior with a hump due to an anomalous absorption lying at about 0.25 eV. The inverse of effective electron number ( NIA) of the absorption is linear in temperature, and the NIA at each temperature is dependent on the square of the effective Bohr magneton of each rare-earth ion. The sum of the number of effective electrons due to Drude adsorption and that due to infrared absorption agree well with the number of carriers obtained from their band calculations or their dHvAs. Therefore, this absorption seems to be due to the intraband transition induced by the scattering between the spin of carriers and the localized magnetic moments at each site of rare-earth ion.

  5. Rare earth elements recycling from waste phosphor by dual hydrochloric acid dissolution.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hu; Zhang, Shengen; Pan, Dean; Tian, Jianjun; Yang, Min; Wu, Maolin; Volinsky, Alex A

    2014-05-15

    This paper is a comparative study of recycling rare earth elements from waste phosphor, which focuses on the leaching rate and the technical principle. The traditional and dual dissolution by hydrochloric acid (DHA) methods were compared. The method of dual dissolution by hydrochloric acid has been developed. The Red rare earth phosphor (Y0.95Eu0.05)2O3 in waste phosphor is dissolved during the first step of acid leaching, while the Green phosphor (Ce0.67Tb0.33MgAl11O19) and the Blue phosphor (Ba0.9Eu0.1MgAl10O17) mixed with caustic soda are obtained by alkali sintering. The excess caustic soda and NaAlO2 are removed by washing. The insoluble matter is leached by the hydrochloric acid, followed by solvent extraction and precipitation (the DHA method). In comparison, the total leaching rate of the rare earth elements was 94.6% by DHA, which is much higher than 42.08% achieved by the traditional method. The leaching rate of Y, Eu, Ce and Tb reached 94.6%, 99.05%, 71.45%, and 76.22%, respectively. DHA can decrease the consumption of chemicals and energy. The suggested DHA method is feasible for industrial applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. SEPARATION OF THORIUM FROM RARE EARTHS WITH TANNIN (in Russian)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vlodavets, N.I.

    1959-03-01

    Thorium is quantitatively precipitated with tannin in a 0.005 N solution of nitric or hydrochloric acid. This permits its separation from trivalent rare earths, which are not precipitated with tannin in such relatively weak acid solutions. The accuracy of the determinations is as usual at the gravimetric determinations of macroquantities of elements. (auth)

  7. Leach of the weathering crust elution-deposited rare earth ore for low environmental pollution with a combination of (NH4)2SO4 and EDTA.

    PubMed

    Tang, Jie; Qiao, Jiyang; Xue, Qiang; Liu, Fei; Chen, Honghan; Zhang, Guochen

    2018-05-01

    High concentration of ammonium sulfate, a typical leaching agent, was often used in the mining process of the weathering crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. After mining, a lot of ammonia nitrogen and labile heavy metal fractions were residual in tailings, which may result in a huge potential risk to the environment. In this study, in order to achieve the maximum extraction of rare earth elements and reduce the labile heavy metal, extraction effect and fraction changes of lanthanum (La) and lead (Pb) in the weathering crust elution-deposited rare earth ore were studied by using a compound agent of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -EDTA. The extraction efficiency of La was more than 90% by using 0.2% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -0.005 M EDTA, which was almost same with that by using 2.0% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 solution. In contrast, the extraction efficiency of Pb was 62.3% when use 0.2% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -0.005 M EDTA, which is much higher than that (16.16%) achieved by using 2.0% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 solution. The released Pb fractions were mainly acid extractable and reducible fractions, and the content of reducible fraction being leached accounted for 70.45% of the total reducible fraction. Therefore, the use of 0.2% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -0.005 M EDTA can not only reduce the amount of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , but also decrease the labile heavy metal residues in soil, which provides a new way for efficient La extraction with effective preventing and controlling environmental pollution in the process of mining the weathering crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Physics of Ultrathin Films and Heterostructures of Rare-Earth Nickelates

    DOE PAGES

    Middey, Srimanta; Chakhalian, J.; Mahadevan, P.; ...

    2016-04-06

    The electronic structure of transition metal oxides featuring correlated electrons can be rationalized within the Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen framework. Following a brief description of the present paradigms of electronic behavior, we focus on the physics of rare-earth nickelates as an archetype of complexity emerging within the charge transfer regime. The intriguing prospect of realizing the physics of high- Tc cuprates through heterostructuring resulted in a massive endeavor to epitaxially stabilize these materials in ultrathin form. A plethora of new phenomena unfolded in such artificial structures due to the effect of epitaxial strain, quantum confinement, and interfacial charge transfer. Here we review themore » present status of artificial rare-earth nickelates in an effort to uncover the interconnection between the electronic and magnetic behavior and the underlying crystal structure. Here, we conclude by discussing future directions to disentangle the puzzle regarding the origin of the metal-insulator transition, the role of oxygen holes, and the true nature of the antiferromagnetic spin configuration in the ultrathin limit.« less

  9. The rare earth element (REE) lanthanum (La) induces hormesis in plants.

    PubMed

    Agathokleous, Evgenios; Kitao, Mitsutoshi; Calabrese, Edward J

    2018-07-01

    Lanthanum is a rare earth element (REE) which has been extensively studied due to its wide application in numerous fields with a potential accumulation in the environment. It has long been known for its potential to stimulate plant growth within a hormetic-biphasic dose response framework. This article provides evidence from a series of high resolution studies published within the last two decades demonstrating a substantial and significant occurrence of lanthanum-induced hormesis in plants. These findings suggest that hormetic responses should be built into the study design of hazard assessment study protocols and included in the risk assessment process. Hormesis also offers the opportunity to substantially improve cost benefit estimates for environmental contaminants, which have the potential to induce beneficial/desirable effects at low doses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Low-energy Structural Dynamics of Multiferroic Domain Walls in Hexagonal Rare-earth Manganites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xiaoyu; Petralanda, Urko; Zheng, Lu; Ren, Yuan; Hu, Rongwei; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Artyukhin, Sergey; Lai, Keji

    Multiferroic domain walls (DWs), the natural interfaces between domains with different order parameters, usually exhibit unconventional functionalities. For instance, recent discovery of the ferroelectric DW conduction highlights its extraordinary electronic structure that is absent in bulk domains. The structural dynamics of individual DWs in the microwave regime, however, have not been fully explored due to the lack of spatially resolved studies. Here, we report the broadband (106-1010 Hz) scanning impedance microscopy results on the interlocked anti-phase boundaries and ferroelectric DWs in hexagonal rare-earth manganites. Surprisingly, the effective conductivity of the (001) DWs displays a 106-fold increase from dc to GHz frequencies, while the effect is absent on surfaces with in-plane polarized domains. First-principles and model calculations indicate that the frequency range and selection rules are consistent with the periodic sliding of the DW around its equilibrium position. This DW acoustic-wave-like mode, which is associated with the synchronized oscillation of local polarization and apical oxygen atoms, is localized perpendicular to the DW but free to propagate along the DW plane. Our results break the ground to understand structural DW dynamics and exploit new interfacial phenomena for novel devices.

  11. Resonance electronic Raman scattering in rare earth crystals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williams, G.M.

    1988-11-10

    The intensities of Raman scattering transitions between electronic energy levels of trivalent rare earth ions doped into transparent crystals were measured and compared to theory. A particle emphasis was placed on the examination of the effect of intermediate state resonances on the Raman scattering intensities. Two specific systems were studied: Ce/sup 3 +/(4f/sup 1/) in single crystals of LuPO/sub 4/ and Er/sup 3 +/(4f/sup 11/) in single crystals of ErPO/sub 4/. 134 refs., 92 figs., 33 tabs.

  12. Composite nanoparticles containing rare earth metal and methods of preparation thereof

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kandapallil, Binil Itty Ipe; Krishnan, Lakshmi; Johnson, Francis

    The present invention is directed to composite nanoparticles comprising a metal, a rare earth element, and, optionally, a complexing ligand. The invention is also directed to composite nanoparticles having a core-shell structure and to processes for preparation of composite nanoparticles of the invention.

  13. RuO2 Thermometer for Ultra-Low Temperatures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hait, Thomas; Shirron, Peter J.; DiPirro, Michael

    2009-01-01

    A small, high-resolution, low-power thermometer has been developed for use in ultra-low temperatures that uses multiple RuO2 chip resistors. The use of commercially available thick-film RuO2 chip resistors for measuring cryogenic temperatures is well known due to their low cost, long-term stability, and large resistance change.

  14. Sensitivity of new detection method for ultra-low frequency gravitational waves with pulsar spin-down rate statistics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yonemaru, Naoyuki; Kumamoto, Hiroki; Takahashi, Keitaro; Kuroyanagi, Sachiko

    2018-04-01

    A new detection method for ultra-low frequency gravitational waves (GWs) with a frequency much lower than the observational range of pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) was suggested in Yonemaru et al. (2016). In the PTA analysis, ultra-low frequency GWs (≲ 10-10 Hz) which evolve just linearly during the observation time span are absorbed by the pulsar spin-down rates since both have the same effect on the pulse arrival time. Therefore, such GWs cannot be detected by the conventional method of PTAs. However, the bias on the observed spin-down rates depends on relative direction of a pulsar and GW source and shows a quadrupole pattern in the sky. Thus, if we divide the pulsars according to the position in the sky and see the difference in the statistics of the spin-down rates, ultra-low frequency GWs from a single source can be detected. In this paper, we evaluate the potential of this method by Monte-Carlo simulations and estimate the sensitivity, considering only the "Earth term" while the "pulsar term" acts like random noise for GW frequencies 10-13 - 10-10 Hz. We find that with 3,000 milli-second pulsars, which are expected to be discovered by a future survey with the Square Kilometre Array, GWs with the derivative of amplitude of about 3 × 10^{-19} {s}^{-1} can in principle be detected. Implications for possible supermassive binary black holes in Sgr* and M87 are also given.

  15. Distribution behavior of uranium, neptunium, rare-earth elements ( Y, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd) and alkaline-earth metals (Sr,Ba) between molten LiClKCI eutectic salt and liquid cadmium or bismuth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurata, M.; Sakamura, Y.; Hijikata, T.; Kinoshita, K.

    1995-12-01

    Distribution coefficients of uranium neptunium, eight rare-earth elements (Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd) and two alkaline-earth metals (Sr and Ba) between molten LiCl-KCI eutectic salt and either liquid cadmium or bismuth were measured at 773 K. Separation factors of trivalent rare-earth elements to uranium or neptunium in the LiCl-KCl/Bi system were by one or two orders of magnitude larger than those in the LiCl-KCl/Cd system. On the contrary, the separation factors of alkaline-earth metals and divalent rare-earth elements to trivalent rare-earth elements were by one or two orders of magnitude smaller in the LiCl-KCl/Bi system.

  16. An ultra-low power output capacitor-less low-dropout regulator with slew-rate-enhanced circuit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Xin; Zhang, Yu; Xie, Guangjun; Yang, Yizhong; Zhang, Zhang

    2018-03-01

    An ultra-low power output-capacitorless low-dropout (LDO) regulator with a slew-rate-enhanced (SRE) circuit is introduced. The increased slew rate is achieved by sensing the transient output voltage of the LDO and then charging (or discharging) the gate capacitor quickly. In addition, a buffer with ultra-low output impedance is presented to improve line and load regulations. This design is fabricated by SMIC 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Experimental results show that, the proposed LDO regulator only consumes an ultra-low quiescent current of 1.2 μA. The output current range is from 10 μA to 200 mA and the corresponding variation of output voltage is less than 40 mV. Moreover, the measured line regulation and load regulation are 15.38 mV/V and 0.4 mV/mA respectively. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61401137, 61404043, 61674049).

  17. Ternary rare earth-lanthanide sulfides. [Re = Eu, Sm or Yb

    DOEpatents

    Takeshita, Takuo; Gschneidner, K.A. Jr.; Beaudry, B.J.

    1986-03-06

    Disclosed is a new ternary rare earth sulfur compound having the formula La/sub 3-x/M/sub x/S/sub 4/, where M is europium, samarium, or ytterbium, with x = 0.15 to 0.8. The compound has good high-temperature thermoelectric properties and exhibits long-term structural stability up to 1000/sup 0/C.

  18. Successful treatment of rare-earth magnet ingestion via minimally invasive techniques: a case series.

    PubMed

    Kosut, Jessica S; Johnson, Sidney M; King, Jeremy L; Garnett, Gwendolyn; Woo, Russell K

    2013-04-01

    Cases of rare-earth magnet ingestions have been increasingly reported in the literature. However, these descriptions have focused on the severity of the injuries, rather than the clinical presentation and/or therapeutic approach. We report a series of eight children, ranging in age from 2 to 10 years, who ingested powerful rare-earth magnets. The rare-earth magnets were marketed in 2009 under the trade name Buckyballs(®) (Maxfield & Oberton, New York, NY). They are about 5 mm in size, spherical, and brightly colored, making them appealing for young children to play with and place in their mouths. Three children presented within hours of ingestion, and the magnets were successfully removed via endoscopy in two, whereas the third child required laparoscopy. No fistulas were found in these children. A fourth child presented 2 days after ingestion with evidence of bowel wall erosion, but without fistula formation; the magnets were removed via laparoscopy. A fifth child ingested nine magnets in a ring formation, which were removed via colonoscopy without evidence of injury or fistula formation. The three remaining children presented late (5-8 days after ingestion) and were found to have associated fistulas. They were treated successfully with a combination of endoscopy and laparoscopy with fluoroscopy. None of the children in our series required an open surgical procedure. All children were discharged home without complications. This case series highlights the potential dangers of rare-earth magnet ingestion in children. Our experience suggests that prompt intervention using minimally invasive approaches can lead to successful outcomes.

  19. RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN FLY ASHES AS POTENTIAL INDICATORS OF ANTHROPOGENIC SOIL CONTAMINATION

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mattigod, Shas V.

    2003-08-01

    Studies of rare earth element (REE) content of disposed fly ashes and their potential mobility were neglected for decades because these elements were believed to be environmentally benign. A number of recent studies have now shown that REE may pose a long-term risk to the biosphere. Therefore, there is a critical need to study the REE concentrations in fly ash and their potential mobilization and dispersal upon disposal in the environment. We analyzed the REE content of bulk, size fractionated, and density separated fractions of three fly ash samples derived from combustion of sub bituminous coals from the western Unitedmore » States and found that the concentrations of these elements in bulk ashes were within the range typical of fly ashes derived from coals from the North American continent. The concentrations of light rare earth elements (LREE) such as La, Ce, and Nd, however, tended towards the higher end of the concentration range whereas, the concentrations of middle rare earth elements (MREE) (Sm and Eu) and heavy rare earth elements (HREE) (Lu) were closer to the lower end of the observed range for North American fly ashes. The concentrations of REE did not show any significant enrichment with decreasing particle size, this is typical of nonvolatile lithophilic element behavior during the combustion process. The lithophilic nature of REE was also confirmed by their concentrations in heavy density fractions of these fly ashes being on average about two times more enriched than the concentrations in the light density fractions. Shale normalized average of REE concentrations of fly ashes and coals revealed significant positive anomalies for Eu and Dy. Because of these distinctive positive anomalies of Eu and Dy, we believe that fly ash contamination of soils can be fingerprinted and distinguished from other sources of anthropogenic REE inputs in to the environment.« less

  20. Recent advances in rare earth doped alkali-alkaline earth borates for solid state lighting applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verma, Shefali; Verma, Kartikey; Kumar, Deepak; Chaudhary, Babulal; Som, Sudipta; Sharma, Vishal; Kumar, Vijay; Swart, Hendrik C.

    2018-04-01

    As a novel class of inorganic phosphor, the alkali-alkaline earth borate phosphors have gained huge attention due to their charming applications in solid-state lighting (SSL) and display devices. The current research drive shows that phosphors based on the alkali-alkaline earth borates have transformed the science and technology due to their high transparency over a broad spectral range, their flexibility in structure and durability for mechanical and high-laser applications. Recent advances in various aspects of rare-earth (RE) doped borate based phosphors and their utilizations in SSL and light emitting diodes are summarized in this review article. Moreover, the present status and upcoming scenario of RE-doped borate phosphors were reviewed in general along with the proper credential from the existing literature. It is believed that this review is a sole compilation of crucial information about the RE-doped borate phosphors in a single platform.

  1. Recent Advanced in Rare Earth Chemistry: IREC (International Rare Earth Conference) 85 Held at Zurich (Switzerland) on 4-8 Mar 85.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-06-04

    compounds were employed since 1979. The polyfunc- studied using time-resolved spectro- tlonal ligands (L) included crown ethers scopy, and the...structure of rare earth * Aqueous complexes with cyclic poly - compounds (for example Cs3Ln2X9), was ethers crown ethers , Alstad, Univer- presented by A...Approved for public release; distribution unlimited U.S. Office of Naval Research, London ag - ’ 3 k) I 5.’ - ~1 I 9 ’<I. A -i I. 4. -A kA IS7 ASS

  2. Rare earth element abundances in rocks and minerals from the Fiskenaesset Complex, West Greenland. [comparison with lunar anorthosites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henderson, P.; Fishlock, S. J.; Laul, J. C.; Cooper, T. D.; Conard, R. L.; Boynton, W. V.; Schmitt, R. A.

    1976-01-01

    The paper reports activation-analysis determinations of rare-earth-element (REE) and other trace-element concentrations in selected rocks, plagioclase, and mafic separates from the Fiskenaesset Complex. The REE abundances are found to be very low and atypical in comparison with other terrestrial anorthosites. The plagioclases are shown to be characterized by a deficiency in heavy RE elements relative to light ones and a positive Eu anomaly, while the mafic separates are enriched in heavy rare earths and have no Eu anomaly, except in one sample. It is found that the bulk and trace-element abundances of the plagioclases are similar to those observed in some lunar anorthosites, but the degree of Eu anomaly is less in the plagioclases. The data are taken as confirmation of the idea that fractionation processes were involved in the origin of the Complex, and it is concluded that the Complex may have been produced from a magma generated by partial melting of a garnet-bearing source.

  3. BOREHOLE NEUTRON ACTIVATION: THE RARE EARTHS.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mikesell, J.L.; Senftle, F.E.

    1987-01-01

    Neutron-induced borehole gamma-ray spectroscopy has been widely used as a geophysical exploration technique by the petroleum industry, but its use for mineral exploration is not as common. Nuclear methods can be applied to mineral exploration, for determining stratigraphy and bed correlations, for mapping ore deposits, and for studying mineral concentration gradients. High-resolution detectors are essential for mineral exploration, and by using them an analysis of the major element concentrations in a borehole can usually be made. A number of economically important elements can be detected at typical ore-grade concentrations using this method. Because of the application of the rare-earth elements to high-temperature superconductors, these elements are examined in detail as an example of how nuclear techniques can be applied to mineral exploration.

  4. Rare-earth abundances in chondritic meteorites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evensen, N. M.; Hamilton, P. J.; Onions, R. K.

    1978-01-01

    Fifteen chondrites, including eight carbonaceous chondrites, were analyzed for rare earth element abundances by isotope dilution. Examination of REE for a large number of individual chondrites shows that only a small proportion of the analyses have flat unfractionated REE patterns within experimental error. While some of the remaining analyses are consistent with magmatic fractionation, many patterns, in particular those with positive Ce anomalies, can not be explained by known magmatic processes. Elemental abundance anomalies are found in all major chondrite classes. The persistence of anomalies in chondritic materials relatively removed from direct condensational processes implies that anomalous components are resistant to equilibrium or were introduced at a late stage of chondrite formation. Large-scale segregation of gas and condensate is implied, and bulk variations in REE abundances between planetary bodies is possible.

  5. Statistical analysis of excitation energies in actinide and rare-earth nuclei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levon, A. I.; Magner, A. G.; Radionov, S. V.

    2018-04-01

    Statistical analysis of distributions of the collective states in actinide and rare-earth nuclei is performed in terms of the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution (NNSD). Several approximations, such as the linear approach to the level repulsion density and that suggested by Brody to the NNSDs were applied for the analysis. We found an intermediate character of the experimental spectra between the order and the chaos for a number of rare-earth and actinide nuclei. The spectra are closer to the Wigner distribution for energies limited by 3 MeV, and to the Poisson distribution for data including higher excitation energies and higher spins. The latter result is in agreement with the theoretical calculations. These features are confirmed by the cumulative distributions, where the Wigner contribution dominates at smaller spacings while the Poisson one is more important at larger spacings, and our linear approach improves the comparison with experimental data at all desired spacings.

  6. The Effect of Rare-Earth Metals on Cast Steels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1954-04-01

    as the 1-inch section is also illustrated in Figure 23 and consists of tempered bainite and tempered martensite. Both of the control steels (AE-1...section Tempered bainite and tempered martensite 4 inch section Figure 23 Microstructure ol the Mn-Cr-Mo base control steels . Etched with... bainite 4-inch Section Figure 25—Microstructures of the MnCr-Mo + Rare Earths f B cast steels . Etched with picral, SOOX - .1 €. Figure 26

  7. Rare earth chalcogenide stoichiometry determination. [of thermoelectric properties

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lockwood, R. A.

    1983-01-01

    Rare earth chalcogenides, and particularly lanthanum sulfide, are currently explored as candidate materials for thermoelectric applications. Since the electrical properties of LaS(x) are largely determined by its stoichiometry, a simple and accurate method has been developed for determining the value of x. The procedure involves dissolving a weighted sample in acid and measuring the amount of hydrogen evolved by the lanthanum that is in excess of the 1.500 ratio of S/La. The analytical error in the determination of x in LaS(x) is about 0.001.

  8. Super earth interiors and validity of Birch's Law for ultra-high pressure metals and ionic solids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ware, Lucas Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Super Earths, recently detected by the Kepler Mission, expand the ensemble of known terrestrial planets beyond our Solar System's limited group. Birch's Law and velocity-density systematics have been crucial in constraining our knowledge of the composition of Earth's mantle and core. Recently published static diamond anvil cell experimental measurements of sound velocities in iron, a key deep element in most super Earth models, are inconsistent with each other with regard to the validity of Birch's Law. We examine the range of validity of Birch's Law for several metallic elements, including iron, and ionic solids shocked with a two-stage light gas gun into the ultra-high pressure, temperature fluid state and make comparisons to the recent static data.

  9. High-power all-fiber ultra-low noise laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Jian; Guiraud, Germain; Pierre, Christophe; Floissat, Florian; Casanova, Alexis; Hreibi, Ali; Chaibi, Walid; Traynor, Nicholas; Boullet, Johan; Santarelli, Giorgio

    2018-06-01

    High-power ultra-low noise single-mode single-frequency lasers are in great demand for interferometric metrology. Robust, compact all-fiber lasers represent one of the most promising technologies to replace the current laser sources in use based on injection-locked ring resonators or multi-stage solid-state amplifiers. Here, a linearly polarized high-power ultra-low noise all-fiber laser is demonstrated at a power level of 100 W. Special care has been taken in the study of relative intensity noise (RIN) and its reduction. Using an optimized servo actuator to directly control the driving current of the pump laser diode, we obtain a large feedback bandwidth of up to 1.3 MHz. The RIN reaches - 160 dBc/Hz between 3 and 20 kHz.

  10. Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements:To the Moon and Beyond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McLeod, C. L.; Krekeler, M. P. S.

    2017-08-01

    The resource budget of Earth is limited. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used across the world by society on a daily basis yet several of these elements have <2500 years of reserves left, based on current demand, mining operations, and technologies. With an increasing population, exploration of potential extraterrestrial REE resources is inevitable, with the Earth's Moon being a logical first target. Following lunar differentiation at 4.50-4.45 Ga, a late-stage (after 99% solidification) residual liquid enriched in Potassium (K), Rare-earth elements (REE), and Phosphorus (P), (or "KREEP") formed. Today, the KREEP-rich region underlies the Oceanus Procellarum and Imbrium Basin region on the lunar near-side (the Procellarum KREEP Terrain, PKT) and has been tentatively estimated at preserving 2.2 × 10^8 km^3 of KREEP-rich lithologies. The majority of lunar samples (Apollo, Luna, or meteoritic samples) contain REE-bearing minerals as trace phases, e.g., apatite and/or merrillite, with merrillite potentially contributing up to 3% of the PKT. Other lunar REE-bearing lunar phases include monazite, yittrobetafite (up to 94,500 ppm yttrium), and tranquillityite (up to 4.6 wt % yttrium, up to 0.25 wt % neodymium), however, lunar sample REE abundances are low compared to terrestrial ores. At present, there is no geological, mineralogical, or chemical evidence to support REEs being present on the Moon in concentrations that would permit their classification as ores. However, the PKT region has not yet been mapped at high resolution, and certainly has the potential to yield higher REE concentrations at local scales (<10s of kms). Future lunar exploration and mapping efforts may therefore reveal new REE deposits. Beyond the Moon, Mars and other extraterrestrial materials are host to REEs in apatite, chevkinite-perrierite, merrillite, whitlockite, and xenotime. These phases are relatively minor components of the meteorites studied to date, constituting <0.6% of the total sample

  11. Behaviour of Rare Earth Elements during the Earth's core formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faure, Pierre; Bouhifd, Mohamed Ali; Boyet, Maud; Hammouda, Tahar; Manthilake, Geeth

    2017-04-01

    Rare Earth Elements (REE) are classified in the refractory group, which means that they have a high temperature condensation and their volatility-controlled fractionation is limited to high-temperature processes. Anomalies have been measured for Eu, Yb and Sm, which are the REE with the lowest condensation temperatures in CAIs and chondrules (e.g. [1]). REE are particularly abundant in the sulfides of enstatite chondrites, 100 to 1000 times the CI value [e.g. 2,3], proving that these elements are not strictly lithophile under extremely reducing conditions. However by investigating experimentally the impact of Earth's core formation on the behavior of Sm and Nd, we have shown the absence of fractionation between Sm and Nd during the segregation of the metallic phase [4]. Recently, Wohlers and Wood [5] proposed that Nd and Sm could be fractionated in presence of a S-rich alloy phase. However, their results were obtained at pressure and temperature conditions below the plausible conditions of the Earth's core formation. Clearly, large pressure range needs to be covered before well-constrained model can be expected. Furthermore, our preliminary metal-silicate partitioning results show that Ce and Eu have higher metal/silicate partition coefficients than their neighboring elements, and that the presence of sulphur enhances the relative difference between partition coefficients. In this presentation, we will present and discuss new metal-silicate partition coefficients of all REE at a deep magma ocean at pressures ranging from those of the uppermost upper mantle ( 5 GPa) to a maximum pressure expected in the range of 20 GPa, temperatures ranging from 2500 to about 3000 K, and oxygen fugacities within IW-1 to IW-5 (1 to 5 orders of magnitude lower than the iron-wüstite buffer). We will discuss the effect of S, as well as the effect of H2O on the behaviour of REE during the Earth's core formation: recent models suggest that contrary to currently accepted beliefs, the

  12. Compact High Current Rare-Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode for Hall Effect Thrusters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goebel, Dan M. (Inventor); Watkins, Ronnie M. (Inventor); Hofer, Richard R. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    An apparatus and method for achieving an efficient central cathode in a Hall effect thruster is disclosed. A hollow insert disposed inside the end of a hollow conductive cathode comprises a rare-earth element and energized to emit electrons from an inner surface. The cathode employs an end opening having an area at least as large as the internal cross sectional area of the rare earth insert to enhance throughput from the cathode end. In addition, the cathode employs a high aspect ratio geometry based on the cathode length to width which mitigates heat transfer from the end. A gas flow through the cathode and insert may be impinged by the emitted electrons to yield a plasma. One or more optional auxiliary gas feeds may also be employed between the cathode and keeper wall and external to the keeper near the outlet.

  13. Growth-induced anisotropy in bismuth - Rare-earth iron garnets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fratello, V. J.; Slusky, S. E. G.; Brandle, C. D.; Norelli, M. P.

    1986-01-01

    The bismuth-doped rare-earth iron garnets, (R3-x-yBixPby)Fe5O12 (Bi:RIG, R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, and Y), were prepared under constant growth conditions to investigate the influence of ionic species on the bismuth-based growth-induced uniaxial anisotropy K(u) exp g. The effect of ionic species on growth-induced anisotropy in Bi:RIG was not consistent with the ionic size model of site ordering. In particular, Bi:SmIG, Bi:EuIG, and Bi:TbIG displayed high growth-induced anisotropies, up to 331,000 erg/cu cm at room temperature for x of about 0.5. The temperature dependence of these K(u) exp gs was somewhat higher than that of the well studied Bi:YIG. The site ordering of Bi can be modeled by assuming that small, low-oxygen-coordination BiOw exp +3-2 w melt complexes have a strong site selectivity for small, high-oxygen coordination sites at the growth interface.

  14. Rare-earth-doped optical-fiber core deposition using full vapor-phase SPCVD process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnini, A.; Robin, T.; Cadier, B.; Aka, G.; Caurant, D.; Gotter, T.; Guyon, C.; Pinsard, E.; Guitton, P.; Laurent, A.; Montron, R.

    2017-02-01

    One key parameter in the race toward ever-higher power fiber lasers remains the rare earth doped optical core quality. Modern Large Mode Area (LMA) fibers require a fine radial control of the core refractive index (RI) close to the silica level. These low RI are achieved with multi-component materials that cannot be readily obtained using conventional solution doping based Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD) technology. This paper presents a study of such optical material obtained through a full-vapor phase Surface Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (SPCVD). The SPCVD process generates straight glassy films on the inner surface of a thermally regulated synthetic silica tube under vacuum. The first part of the presented results points out the feasibility of ytterbium-doped aluminosilicate fibers by this process. In the second part we describe the challenge controlling the refractive index throughout the core diameter when using volatile fluorine to create efficient LMA fiber profiles. It has been demonstrated that it is possible to counter-act the loss of fluorine at the center of the core by adjusting the core composition locally. Our materials yielded, when used in optical fibers with numerical apertures ranging from 0.07 to 0.09, power conversion efficiency up to 76% and low background losses below 20 dB/km at 1100nm. Photodarkening has been measured to be similar to equivalent MCVD based fibers. The use of cerium as a co-dopant allowed for a complete mitigation of this laser lifetime detrimental effect. The SPCVD process enables high capacity preforms and is particularly versatile when it comes to radial tailoring of both rare earth doping level and RI. Large core diameter preforms - up to 4mm - were successfully produced.

  15. Laboratory calibration and field testing of the Chemcatcher-Metal for trace levels of rare earth elements in estuarine waters.

    PubMed

    Petersen, Jördis; Pröfrock, Daniel; Paschke, Albrecht; Broekaert, Jose A C; Prange, Andreas

    2015-10-01

    Little knowledge is available about water concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) in the marine environment. The direct measurement of REEs in coastal waters is a challenging task due to their ultra-low concentrations as well as the high salt content in the water samples. To quantify these elements at environmental concentrations (pg L(-1) to low ng L(-1)) in coastal waters, current analytical techniques are generally expensive and time consuming, and require complex chemical preconcentration procedures. Therefore, an integrative passive sampler was tested as a more economic alternative sampling approach for REE analysis. We used a Chemcatcher-Metal passive sampler consisting of a 3M Empore Chelating Disk as the receiving phase, as well as a cellulose acetate membrane as the diffusion-limiting layer. The effect of water turbulence and temperature on the uptake rates of REEs was analyzed during 14-day calibration experiments by a flow-through exposure tank system. The sampling rates were in the range of 0.42 mL h(-1) (13 °C; 0.25 m s(-1)) to 4.01 mL h(-1) (13 °C; 1 m s(-1)). Similar results were obtained for the different REEs under investigation. The water turbulence was the most important influence on uptake. The uptake rates were appropriate to ascertain time-weighted average concentrations of REEs during a field experiment in the Elbe Estuary near Cuxhaven Harbor (exposure time 4 weeks). REE concentrations were determined to be in the range 0.2 to 13.8 ng L(-1), where the highest concentrations were found for neodymium and samarium. In comparison, most of the spot samples measured along the Chemcatcher samples had REE concentrations below the limit of detection, in particular due to necessary dilution to minimize the analytical problems that arise with the high salt content in marine water samples. This study was among the first efforts to measure REE levels in the field using a passive sampling approach. Our results suggest that passive samplers could be

  16. Rare Earth elements in individual minerals in Shergottites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Crozaz, Ghislaine

    1993-01-01

    Shergottites (i.e., Shergotty, Zagami, EETA79001, ALHA77005, and LEW88516) are an important set of achondrites because they comprise the majority of the SNC group of meteorites (nine, in total, known to us), which are likely to be samples of the planet Mars. Study of these meteorites may therefore provide valuable information about petrogenetic processes on a large planetary body other than Earth. Rare earth element (REE) distributions between various mineral phases were found to be useful in geochemically modeling the petrogenesis of various rock types (terrestrial and meteoritic). However, with the exception of a few ion microprobe studies and analyses of mineral separates, there has previously not been any comprehensive effort to characterize and directly compare REE in individual minerals in each of the five known shergottites. Ion microprobe analyses were made on thin sections of each of the shergottites. Minerals analyzed were pyroxenes (pigeonite and augite), maskelynite, and whitlockite. The REE concentrations in each mineral type in each shergottite is given.

  17. Rare earth and zinc layered hydroxide salts intercalated with the 2-aminobenzoate anion as organic luminescent sensitizer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cursino, Ana Cristina Trindade, E-mail: anacursino@ufpr.br; Rives, Vicente, E-mail: vrives@usal.es; Arizaga, Gregorio Guadalupe Carbajal, E-mail: gregoriocarbajal@yahoo.com.mx

    2015-10-15

    Rare earth (RE = Eu, Y and Tb) and zinc layered hydroxide salts intercalated with nitrate anions were synthesized, followed by exchange with 2-aminobenzoate. The UV absorption ability was improved after intercalation/grafting in relation to that shown by the parent material. - Highlights: • Rare earth (RE = Eu, Y and Tb) and zinc layered hydroxide were synthesized. • Intercalated nitrate anions were exchanged by 2-aminobenzoate. • In all the 2-aminobenzoate containing compounds, the grafting reaction was detected. • The UV absorption ability was improved after the exchange reactions. • Rare earth hydroxide salts are potential matrixes to produce luminescentmore » materials. - Abstract: Rare earth (RE = Eu, Y and Tb) and zinc layered hydroxide salts intercalated with nitrate anions were synthesized, followed by exchange with 2-aminobenzoate. The obtained compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet visible (UV–vis) spectroscopies, fluorescence measurements and thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The results from FTIR spectroscopy suggest a direct coordination of 2-aminobenzoate to the metal cations of the inorganic layered structure. The organic derivative products from the intercalation reactions absorb a broader range of UV-light in relation to that shown by the parent material; the photoluminescence measurements present a strong violet, blue and green luminescence under UV-light excitation for layered compounds with, Zn, Y and Tb, respectively. Rare earth hydroxide salts (RE-LHS) are potential alternative matrices for the immobilization of organic species to produce luminescent materials.« less

  18. Iron-Nitride Alloy Magnets: Transformation Enabled Nitride Magnets Absent Rare Earths (TEN Mare)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2012-01-01

    REACT Project: Case Western is developing a highly magnetic iron-nitride alloy to use in the magnets that power electric motors found in EVs and renewable power generators. This would reduce the overall price of the motor by eliminating the expensive imported rare earth minerals typically found in today’s best commercial magnets. The iron-nitride powder is sourced from abundant and inexpensive materials found in the U.S. The ultimate goal of this project is to demonstrate this new magnet system, which contains no rare earths, in a prototype electric motor. This could significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in themore » U.S. each year by encouraging the use of clean alternatives to oil and coal.« less

  19. Method validation for high resolution sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of the emerging contaminants in the open ocean: Rare earth elements as a case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wysocka, Irena; Vassileva, Emilia

    2017-02-01

    Analytical procedure for the determination of fourteen rare earth elements (REEs) in the seawater samples has been developed and validated. The elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) at ultra-trace level were measured by high resolution sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR ICP-SFMS) after off-line analytes pre-concentration and matrix separation. The sample pre-treatment was carried out by commercially available automated system seaFAST-pico™, which is a low-pressure ion chromatography technique, based on solid phase extraction principles. Efficient elimination of seawater matrix and up to 50-fold pre-concentration of REEs enabled their accurate and precise quantification at ng L- 1 level. A validation approach in line with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 standard and Eurachem guidelines were followed. With this in mind, selectivity, working range, linearity, recovery (from 92% to 102%), repeatability (1%-4%), intermediate precision (2%-6%), limits of detection (0.001-0.08 ng L- 1) were systematically assessed. The total uncertainty associated to each result was estimated and the main sources of uncertainty sorted out. All major contributions to the combined uncertainty of the obtained results were identified and propagated together, following the ISO/GUM guidelines. The relative expanded uncertainty was estimated at range from 10.4% to 11.6% (k = 2). Demonstration of traceability of measurement results was also presented. Due to the low limits of detection, this method enables the determination of ultra-low levels of REEs in the open seawater as well as small variations in their concentrations. The potential of the proposed analytical procedure, based on combination of seaFAST-pico™ for sample preparation and HR ICP-SFMS, was demonstrated by direct analysis of seawater form different regions of the world.

  20. A chemical-spectrochemical method for the determination of rare earth elements and thorium in cerium minerals

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rose, H.J.; Murata, K.J.; Carron, M.K.

    1954-01-01

    In a combined chemical-spectrochemical procedure for quantitatively determining rare earth elements in cerium minerals, cerium is determined volumetrically, a total rare earths plus thoria precipitate is separated chemically, the ceria content of the precipitate is raised to 80??0 percent by adding pure ceria, and the resulting mixture is analyzed for lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, yttrium, and thorium spectrochemically by means of the d.c. carbon arc. Spectral lines of singly ionized cerium are used as internal standard lines in the spectrochemical determination which is patterned after Fassel's procedure [1]. Results of testing the method with synthetic mixtures of rare earths and with samples of chemically analyzed cerium minerals show that the coefficient of variation for a quadruplicate determination of any element does not exceed 5??0 (excepting yttrium at concentrations less than 1 percent) and that the method is free of serious systematic error. ?? 1954.

  1. Microwave hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of rare-earth stannate nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Shuang; Xu, Hua-lan; Zhong, Sheng-liang; Wang, Lei

    2017-07-01

    Rare-earth stannate (Ln2Sn2O7 (Ln = Y, La-Lu)) nanocrystals with an average diameter of 50 nm were prepared through a facile microwave hydrothermal method at 200°C within 60 min. The products were well characterized. The effect of reaction parameters such as temperature, reaction time, pH value, and alkali source on the preparation was investigated. The results revealed that the pH value plays an important role in the formation process of gadolinium stannate (Gd2Sn2O7) nanoparticles. By contrast, the alkali source had no effect on the phase composition or morphology of the final product. Uniform and sphere-like nanoparticles with an average size of approximately 50 nm were obtained at the pH value of 11.5. A possible formation mechanism was briefly proposed. Gd2Sn2O7:Eu3+ nanoparticles displayed strong orange-red emission. Magnetic measurements revealed that Gd2Sn2O7 nanoparticles were paramagnetic. The other rare-earth stannate Ln2Sn2O7 (Ln = Y, La-Lu) nanocrystals were prepared by similar approaches.

  2. Characterization of metal binding sites onto biochar using rare earth elements as a fingerprint.

    PubMed

    Pourret, Olivier; Houben, David

    2018-02-01

    The ability of biochar to immobilize metals relies on the amount of functional groups at its surface but the contribution of each functional groups (e.g. carboxylic, phenolic) to metal bonding is poorly known. Using a new approach based on previous works on rare earth element (REE) interactions with humic substances, we aim at elucidating the relative contribution of these binding sites to metal sorption under various conditions (i.e. pH and ionic strengths, IS). Using batch experiments, REE sorption onto biochar was analyzed from pH 3 to 9 and IS 10 -1 mol/L to 10 -3 mol/L. Rare earth element patterns show a Middle REE (MREE) downward concavity at acidic pH and low ionic strength. These patterns are in good agreement with existing datasets quantifying REE binding with humic substances. Indeed, the MREE downward concavity displayed by REE-biochar complexation pattern compares well with REE patterns with various organic compounds. This similarity in the REE complexation pattern shapes suggests that carboxylic groups are the main binding sites of REE in biochar. Overall, our results indicate that the strength of the metal bonding with biochar increases when pH and IS increase, suggesting that biochar is more efficient for long-term metal immobilization at near neutral pH and high ionic strength.

  3. Rare earth elements in river waters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldstein, Steven J.; Jacobsen, Stein B.

    1988-01-01

    To characterize the input to the oceans of rare earth elements (REE) in the dissolved and the suspended loads of rivers, the REE concentrations were measured in samples of Amazon, Indus, Mississippi, Murray-Darling, and Ohio rivers and in samples of smaller rivers that had more distinct drainage basin lithology and water chemistry. It was found that, in the suspended loads of small rivers, the REE pattern was dependent on drainage basin geology, whereas the suspended loads in major rivers had relatively uniform REE patterns and were heavy-REE depleted relative to the North American Shale composite (NASC). The dissolved loads in the five major rivers had marked relative heavy-REE enrichments, relative to the NASC and the suspended material, with the (La/Yb)N ratio of about 0.4 (as compared with the ratio of about 1.9 in suspended loads).

  4. Ultra-low magnetic damping in metallic and half-metallic systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, Justin

    The phenomenology of magnetic damping is of critical importance to devices which seek to exploit the electronic spin degree of freedom since damping strongly affects the energy required and speed at which a device can operate. However, theory has struggled to quantitatively predict the damping, even in common ferromagnetic materials. This presents a challenge for a broad range of applications in magnonics, spintronics and spin-orbitronics that depend on the ability to precisely control the damping of a material. I will discuss our recent work to precisely measure the intrinsic damping in several metallic and half-metallic material systems and compare experiment with several theoretical models. This investigation uncovered a metallic material composed of Co and Fe that exhibit ultra-low values of damping that approach values found in thin film YIG. Such ultra-low damping is unexpected in a metal since magnon-electron scattering dominates the damping in conductors. However, this system possesses a distinctive feature in the bandstructure that minimizes the density of states at the Fermi energy n(EF). These findings provide the theoretical framework by which such ultra-low damping can be achieved in metallic ferromagnets and may enable a new class of experiments where ultra-low damping can be combined with a charge current. Half-metallic Heusler compounds by definition have a bandgap in one of the spin channels at the Fermi energy. This feature can also lead to exceptionally low values of the damping parameter. Our results show a strong correlation of the damping with the order parameter in Co2MnGe. Finally, I will provide an overview of the recent advances in achieving low damping in thin film Heusler compounds.

  5. Alternative High-Performance Motors with Non-Rare Earth Materials, Final Publishable Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Galioto, Steven; Johnson, Francis

    Electric drive systems, which include electric machines and power electronics, are a key enabling technology for advanced vehicle propulsion systems that reduce the petroleum dependence of the transportation sector. To have significant effect, electric drive technologies must be economical in terms of cost, weight, and size while meeting performance and reliability expectations. The goal of the project is to develop traction motors that reduce or eliminate the use of rare-earth materials and meet the DoE specifications for such a traction motor. This is accomplished by evaluating and developing multiple motor topologies in conjunction with advanced materials. Eight non-permanent magnet motormore » topologies and two reduced or non-rare earth motor topologies are analyzed and compared using a common set of requirements. Five of the motors are built and tested to validate the analysis. This paper provides a detailed quantitative comparison of the different machine topologies that reduce or eliminate rare-earth materials. Conclusions are drawn from the analysis and test data to show the tradeoffs related to selecting each of the motor topologies with the hope of providing practicing engineers and researchers in the field enough guidelines for choosing the “optimum” machine topology that suits their applications and set of performance requirements. Four materials technologies were investigated for their ability to enable a reduced rare earth electric motor. Two of the technologies were soft magnetic materials, one was a non-rare-earth containing permanent magnet technology, and the last was an insulation material. These processing and performance of these materials were first demonstrated in small coupons. The coupon tests justified proceeding to larger scale processing for two of the materials technologies: 1) a dual-phase soft magnetic material for use in rotor laminates and 2) a high temperature insulation material for use as a slot liner in the stator. The

  6. RARE EARTH ELEMENT IMPACTS ON BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fujita, Y.; Barnes, J.; Fox, S.

    Increasing demand for rare earth elements (REE) is expected to lead to new development and expansion in industries processing and or recycling REE. For some industrial operators, sending aqueous waste streams to a municipal wastewater treatment plant, or publicly owned treatment works (POTW), may be a cost effective disposal option. However, wastewaters that adversely affect the performance of biological wastewater treatment at the POTW will not be accepted. The objective of our research is to assess the effects of wastewaters that might be generated by new rare earth element (REE) beneficiation or recycling processes on biological wastewater treatment systems. Wemore » have been investigating the impact of yttrium and europium on the biological activity of activated sludge collected from an operating municipal wastewater treatment plant. We have also examined the effect of an organic complexant that is commonly used in REE extraction and separations; similar compounds may be a component of newly developed REE recycling processes. Our preliminary results indicate that in the presence of Eu, respiration rates for the activated sludge decrease relative to the no-Eu controls, at Eu concentrations ranging from <10 to 660 µM. Yttrium appears to inhibit respiration as well, although negative impacts have been observed only at the highest Y amendment level tested (660 µM). The organic complexant appears to have a negative impact on activated sludge activity as well, although results are variable. Ultimately the intent of this research is to help REE industries to develop environmentally friendly and economically sustainable beneficiation and recycling processes.« less

  7. Thin films of fullerene-like MoS2 nanoparticles with ultra-low friction and wear

    PubMed

    Chhowalla; Amaratunga

    2000-09-14

    The tribological properties of solid lubricants such as graphite and the metal dichalcogenides MX2 (where M is molybdenum or tungsten and X is sulphur or selenium) are of technological interest for reducing wear in circumstances where liquid lubricants are impractical, such as in space technology, ultra-high vacuum or automotive transport. These materials are characterized by weak interatomic interactions (van der Waals forces) between their layered structures, allowing easy, low-strength shearing. Although these materials exhibit excellent friction and wear resistance and extended lifetime in vacuum, their tribological properties remain poor in the presence of humidity or oxygen, thereby limiting their technological applications in the Earth's atmosphere. But using MX2 in the form of isolated inorganic fullerene-like hollow nanoparticles similar to carbon fullerenes and nanotubes can improve its performance. Here we show that thin films of hollow MoS2 nanoparticles, deposited by a localized high-pressure arc discharge method, exhibit ultra-low friction (an order of magnitude lower than for sputtered MoS2 thin films) and wear in nitrogen and 45% humidity. We attribute this 'dry' behaviour in humid environments to the presence of curved S-Mo-S planes that prevent oxidation and preserve the layered structure.

  8. Thin films of fullerene-like MoS2 nanoparticles with ultra-low friction and wear

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chhowalla, Manish; Amaratunga, Gehan A. J.

    2000-09-01

    The tribological properties of solid lubricants such as graphite and the metal dichalcogenides MX2 (where M is molybdenum or tungsten and X is sulphur or selenium) are of technological interest for reducing wear in circumstances where liquid lubricants are impractical, such as in space technology, ultra-high vacuum or automotive transport. These materials are characterized by weak interatomic interactions (van der Waals forces) between their layered structures, allowing easy, low-strength shearing. Although these materials exhibit excellent friction and wear resistance and extended lifetime in vacuum, their tribological properties remain poor in the presence of humidity or oxygen, thereby limiting their technological applications in the Earth's atmosphere. But using MX2 in the form of isolated inorganic fullerene-like hollow nanoparticles similar to carbon fullerenes and nanotubes can improve its performance. Here we show that thin films of hollow MoS2 nanoparticles, deposited by a localized high-pressure arc discharge method, exhibit ultra-low friction (an order of magnitude lower than for sputtered MoS2 thin films) and wear in nitrogen and 45% humidity. We attribute this `dry' behaviour in humid environments to the presence of curved S-Mo-S planes that prevent oxidation and preserve the layered structure.

  9. Evaluating rare earth element availability: a case with revolutionary demand from clean technologies.

    PubMed

    Alonso, Elisa; Sherman, Andrew M; Wallington, Timothy J; Everson, Mark P; Field, Frank R; Roth, Richard; Kirchain, Randolph E

    2012-03-20

    The future availability of rare earth elements (REEs) is of concern due to monopolistic supply conditions, environmentally unsustainable mining practices, and rapid demand growth. We present an evaluation of potential future demand scenarios for REEs with a focus on the issue of comining. Many assumptions were made to simplify the analysis, but the scenarios identify some key variables that could affect future rare earth markets and market behavior. Increased use of wind energy and electric vehicles are key elements of a more sustainable future. However, since present technologies for electric vehicles and wind turbines rely heavily on dysprosium (Dy) and neodymium (Nd), in rare-earth magnets, future adoption of these technologies may result in large and disproportionate increases in the demand for these two elements. For this study, upper and lower bound usage projections for REE in these applications were developed to evaluate the state of future REE supply availability. In the absence of efficient reuse and recycling or the development of technologies which use lower amounts of Dy and Nd, following a path consistent with stabilization of atmospheric CO(2) at 450 ppm may lead to an increase of more than 700% and 2600% for Nd and Dy, respectively, over the next 25 years if the present REE needs in automotive and wind applications are representative of future needs.

  10. A novel approach for acid mine drainage pollution biomonitoring using rare earth elements bioaccumulated in the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea.

    PubMed

    Bonnail, Estefanía; Pérez-López, Rafael; Sarmiento, Aguasanta M; Nieto, José Miguel; DelValls, T Ángel

    2017-09-15

    Lanthanide series have been used as a record of the water-rock interaction and work as a tool for identifying impacts of acid mine drainage (lixiviate residue derived from sulphide oxidation). The application of North-American Shale Composite-normalized rare earth elements patterns to these minority elements allows determining the origin of the contamination. In the current study, geochemical patterns were applied to rare earth elements bioaccumulated in the soft tissue of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea after exposure to different acid mine drainage contaminated environments. Results show significant bioaccumulation of rare earth elements in soft tissue of the clam after 14 days of exposure to acid mine drainage contaminated sediment (ΣREE=1.3-8μg/gdw). Furthermore, it was possible to biomonitor different degrees of contamination based on rare earth elements in tissue. The pattern of this type of contamination describes a particular curve characterized by an enrichment in the middle rare earth elements; a homologous pattern (E MREE =0.90) has also been observed when applied NASC normalization in clam tissues. Results of lanthanides found in clams were contrasted with the paucity of toxicity studies, determining risk caused by light rare earth elements in the Odiel River close to the Estuary. The current study purposes the use of clam as an innovative "bio-tool" for the biogeochemical monitoring of pollution inputs that determines the acid mine drainage networks affection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Adsorption of rare earth ions onto the cell walls of wild-type and lipoteichoic acid-defective strains of Bacillus subtilis.

    PubMed

    Moriwaki, Hiroshi; Koide, Remi; Yoshikawa, Ritsuko; Warabino, Yuya; Yamamoto, Hiroki

    2013-04-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of cell walls of wild-type and lipoteichoic acid-defective strains of Bacillus subtilis 168 to adsorb rare earth ions. Freeze-dried cell powders prepared from both strains were used for the evaluation of adsorption ability for the rare earth ions, namely, La(III), Eu(III), and Tm(III). The rare earth ions were efficiently adsorbed onto powders of both wild-type strain (WT powder) and lipoteichoic acid-defective strain (∆LTA powder) at pH 3. The maximum adsorption capacities for Tm(III) by WT and ∆LTA powders were 43 and 37 mg g(-1), respectively. Removal (in percent) of Tm(III), La(III), and Eu(III) from aqueous solution by WT powder was greater than by ∆LTA powder. These results indicate that rare earth ions are adsorbed to functional groups, such as phosphate and carboxyl groups, of lipoteichoic acid. We observed coagulated ∆LTA powder in the removal of rare earth ions (1-20 mg L(-1)) from aqueous solution. In contrast, sedimentation of WT powder did not occur under the same conditions. This unique feature of ∆LTA powder may be caused by the difference of the distribution between lipoteichoic acid and wall teichoic acid. It appears that ∆LTA powder is useful for removal of rare earth ions by adsorption, because aggregation allows for rapid separation of the adsorbent by filtration.

  12. Background characterization of an ultra-low background liquid scintillation counter

    DOE PAGES

    Erchinger, J. L.; Orrell, John L.; Aalseth, C. E.; ...

    2017-01-26

    The Ultra-Low Background Liquid Scintillation Counter developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will expand the application of liquid scintillation counting by enabling lower detection limits and smaller sample volumes. By reducing the overall count rate of the background environment approximately 2 orders of magnitude below that of commercially available systems, backgrounds on the order of tens of counts per day over an energy range of ~3–3600 keV can be realized. Finally, initial test results of the ULB LSC show promising results for ultra-low background detection with liquid scintillation counting.

  13. MESSENGER Magnetic Field Observations of Upstream Ultra-Low Frequency Waves at Mercury

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Le, G.; Chi, P. J.; Boardsen, S.; Blanco-Cano, X.; Anderosn, B. J.; Korth, H.

    2012-01-01

    The region upstream from a planetary bow shock is a natural plasma laboratory containing a variety of wave particle phenomena. The study of foreshocks other than the Earth's is important for extending our understanding of collisionless shocks and foreshock physics since the bow shock strength varies with heliocentric distance from the Sun, and the sizes of the bow shocks are different at different planets. The Mercury's bow shock is unique in our solar system as it is produced by low Mach number solar wind blowing over a small magnetized body with a predominately radial interplanetary magnetic field. Previous observations of Mercury upstream ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves came exclusively from two Mercury flybys of Mariner 10. The MESSENGER orbiter data enable us to study of upstream waves in the Mercury's foreshock in depth. This paper reports an overview of upstream ULF waves in the Mercury's foreshock using high-time resolution magnetic field data, 20 samples per second, from the MESSENGER spacecraft. The most common foreshock waves have frequencies near 2 Hz, with properties similar to the I-Hz waves in the Earth's foreshock. They are present in both the flyby data and in every orbit of the orbital data we have surveyed. The most common wave phenomenon in the Earth's foreshock is the large-amplitude 30-s waves, but similar waves at Mercury have frequencies at near 0.1 Hz and occur only sporadically with short durations (a few wave cycles). Superposed on the "30-s" waves, there are spectral peaks at near 0.6 Hz, not reported previously in Mariner 10 data. We will discuss wave properties and their occurrence characteristics in this paper.

  14. Determination of Rare Earth Elements in Geological Samples Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).

    PubMed

    Bhatt, Chet R; Jain, Jinesh C; Goueguel, Christian L; McIntyre, Dustin L; Singh, Jagdish P

    2018-01-01

    Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to detect rare earth elements (REEs) in natural geological samples. Low and high intensity emission lines of Ce, La, Nd, Y, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, and Dy were identified in the spectra recorded from the samples to claim the presence of these REEs. Multivariate analysis was executed by developing partial least squares regression (PLS-R) models for the quantification of Ce, La, and Nd. Analysis of unknown samples indicated that the prediction results of these samples were found comparable to those obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. Data support that LIBS has potential to quantify REEs in geological minerals/ores.

  15. On the brittle nature of rare earth pnictides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shriya, S.; Sapkale, R.; Varshney, Dinesh, E-mail: vdinesh33@rediffmail.com, E-mail: sapkale.raju@rediffmail.com

    The high-pressure structural phase transition and pressure as well temperature induced elastic properties in ReY; (Re = La, Sc, Pr; Y = N, P, As, Sb, Bi) pnictides have been performed using effective interionic interaction potential with emphasis on charge transfer interactions and covalent contribution. Estimated values of phase transition pressure and the volume discontinuity in pressure-volume phase diagram indicate the structural phase transition from NaCl to CsCl structure. From the investigations of elastic constants the pressure (temperature) dependent volume collapse/expansion, second order Cauchy discrepancy, anisotropy, hardness and brittle/ductile nature of rare earth pnictides are computed.

  16. Ultra-thin smart acoustic metasurface for low-frequency sound insulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hao; Xiao, Yong; Wen, Jihong; Yu, Dianlong; Wen, Xisen

    2016-04-01

    Insulating low-frequency sound is a conventional challenge due to the high areal mass required by mass law. In this letter, we propose a smart acoustic metasurface consisting of an ultra-thin aluminum foil bonded with piezoelectric resonators. Numerical and experimental results show that the metasurface can break the conventional mass law of sound insulation by 30 dB in the low frequency regime (<1000 Hz), with an ultra-light areal mass density (<1.6 kg/m2) and an ultra-thin thickness (1000 times smaller than the operating wavelength). The underlying physical mechanism of such extraordinary sound insulation performance is attributed to the infinite effective dynamic mass density produced by the smart resonators. It is also demonstrated that the excellent sound insulation property can be conveniently tuned by simply adjusting the external circuits instead of modifying the structure of the metasurface.

  17. Tribological performance of ultra-low viscosity composite base fluid with bio-derived fluid

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    One obvious approach to increase efficiencies in many lubricated systems such as ICE and gearbox is the reduction in viscosity of oil lubricant. Indeed, ultra-low viscosity engine oils are now commercially available. One approach to the development of ultra-low viscosity lubricants without compromis...

  18. Porous silicon - rare earth doped xerogel and glass composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balakrishnan, S.; Gun'ko, Yurii K.; Perova, T. S.; Rafferty, A.; Astrova, E. V.; Moore, R. A.

    2005-06-01

    The development of components for photonics applications is growing exponentially. The sol-gel method is now recognised as a convenient and flexible way to deposit oxide or glass films on a variety of hosts, including porous silicon. In the present work we incorporated erbium and europium doped xerogel into porous silicon and developed new porous silicon - rare earth doped glass composites. Various characteris-ation techniques including FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy were employed in this work.

  19. Compositional and phase relations among rare earth element minerals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burt, D. M.

    1990-01-01

    This paper discusses the compositional and phase relationships among minerals in which rare earth elements (REE) occur as essential constituents (e.g., bastnaesite, monazite, xenotime, aeschynite, allanite). Particular consideration is given to the vector representation of complex coupled substitutions in selected REE-bearing minerals and to the REE partitioning between minerals as related to the acid-base tendencies and mineral stabilities. It is shown that the treatment of coupled substitutions as vector quantities facilitates graphical representation of mineral composition spaces.

  20. Rare-earth element geochemistry and the origin of andesites and basalts of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cole, J.W.; Cashman, K.V.; Rankin, P.C.

    1983-01-01

    Two types of basalt (a high-Al basalt associated with the rhyolitic centres north of Taupo and a "low-Al" basalt erupted from Red Crater, Tongariro Volcanic Centre) and five types of andesite (labradorite andesite, labradorite-pyroxene andesite, hornblende andesite, pyroxene low-Si andesite and olivine andesite/low-Si andesite) occur in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), North Island, New Zealand. Rare-earth abundances for both basalts and andesites are particularly enriched in light rare-earth elements. High-Al basalts are more enriched than the "low-Al" basalt and have values comparable to the andesites. Labradorite and labradorite-pyroxene andesites all have negative Eu anomalies and hornblende andesites all have negative Ce anomalies. The former is probably due to changing plagioclase composition during fractionation and the latter to late-stage hydration of the magma. Least-squares mixing models indicate that neither high-Al nor "low-Al" basalts are likely sources for labradorite/labradorite-pyroxene andesites. High-Al basalts are considered to result from fractionation of olivine and clinopyroxene from a garnet-free peridotite at the top of the mantle wedge. Labradorite/labradorite-pyroxene andesites are mainly associated with an older NW-trending arc. The source is likely to be garnet-free but it is not certain whether the andesites result from partial melting of the top of the subducting plate or a hydrated lower portion of the mantle wedge. Pyroxene low-Si andesites probably result from cumulation of pyroxene and calcic plagioclase within labradorite-pyroxene andesites, and hornblende andesites by late-stage hydration of labradorite-pyroxene andesite magma. Olivine andesites, low-Si andesites and "low-Al" basalts are related to the NNE-trending Taupo-Hikurangi arc structure. Although the initial source material is different for these lavas they have probably undergone a similar history to the labradorite/labradorite-pyroxene andesites. All lavas show evidence