Praseodymium

Praseodymium is a soft, silvery rare-earth metal in the lanthanide family. It is too reactive to occur as pure metal in nature and is found mixed with other rare earths, especially in the minerals bastnäsite and monazite. These ores are processed to separate their rare-earth elements; praseodymium is then separated from its close chemical relatives, often using solvent extraction, and converted to metal. A vivid use of praseodymium compounds is in yellow ceramic colors and special glasses: the ions can absorb particular colors of light, giving glass a green tint. Praseodymium is also combined with neodymium in powerful permanent magnets used in motors and other equipment. These applications use compounds or alloys containing praseodymium, not the pure element on its own.