Samarium
(information)
✅ Continuing with **Samarium (Sm)** — a heavy rare-earth metal prized for its **magnets, nuclear control materials, catalysts, and specialized optics**. It’s less abundant than cerium or neodymium, but critical where **thermal stability and radiation resistance** are required. --- # 🧲 Modern Samarium Uses by Industry (Option A Format) ### ⚡ **1–5: Magnets & Electronics (~40–45%)** 1. **Samarium–Cobalt (SmCo) Permanent Magnets** – Retain magnetism at very high temperatures. 2. **Aerospace & Defense Motors** – Jet engines, precision-guided systems, and missiles. 3. **Electric Motors & Generators** – High-temperature applications beyond NdFeB’s limits. 4. **Microwave Devices (Magnetrons & Circulators)** – Telecommunications and radar. 5. **Precision Sensors & Actuators** – Aerospace, robotics, and automotive systems. --- ### ☢️ **6–10: Nuclear & Radiation Control (~25–30%)** 6. **Nuclear Reactor Control Rods (Sm-149 Isotope)** – Excellent neutron absorber. 7. **Burnable Poisons in Fuel Assemblies** – Stabilizes reactor reactivity. 8. **Shielding Alloys & Coatings** – Protects sensitive instruments from radiation. 9. **Isotope Calibration Sources** – Used in nuclear research and dosimetry. 10. **Gamma Spectroscopy Standards** – Sm isotopes used in nuclear physics studies. --- ### ⚙️ **11–14: Catalysts & Chemical Applications (~10–12%)** 11. **Organic Catalysis (SmI₂, Samarium Diiodide)** – Selective reducing agent in fine chemistry. 12. **Polymerization Catalysts** – Enhances polymer uniformity and strength. 13. **Hydrogenation & Dechlorination Catalysts** – Used in specialty chemical manufacturing. 14. **Electrochemical & Photocatalytic Materials** – Emerging renewable energy catalysts. --- ### 🪞 **15–17: Optics & Glass (~8–10%)** 15. **Infrared-Absorbing Glass & Filters** – Used in military, scientific, and optical lenses. 16. **Neutron-Absorbing Glass** – For shielding and radiation monitoring. 17. **Laser Crystals (Sm:YAG, Sm:CaF₂)** – Research and instrumentation lasers. --- ### 🔬 **18–20: Specialty & Emerging (~3–5%)** 18. **Fuel Cell Electrolytes (Sm-Doped Ceria)** – Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) conductivity enhancer. 19. **Biomedical & Magnetic Nanoparticles** – Targeted therapy and imaging research. 20. **High-Entropy Alloy Research** – Sm included for high-temperature materials science. --- ### 📌 Sector Share Summary | Sector Group | % of Global Samarium Use | | --------------------------- | ------------------------ | | Magnets & Electronics | ~40–45% | | Nuclear & Radiation Control | ~25–30% | | Catalysts & Chemicals | ~10–12% | | Optics & Glass | ~8–10% | | Specialty & Emerging | ~3–5% | --- ✅ **Next element:** **Europium (Eu)** — famous for producing **the red and blue phosphors** in screens and LEDs, and also used in **lasers, nuclear control rods, and advanced luminescent materials**. Say **“continue”** to move on to **Europium** in the same structured format.Known Methods of Extraction
Perfect 👍 — next in **periodic table order** is **Samarium (Sm, atomic number 62).** Samarium is a **lanthanide (rare earth metal)** that occurs primarily in **monazite (Ce,La,Sm,Th)PO₄** and **bastnäsite (Ce,La,Sm)(CO₃)F**. Industrial extraction involves **acid or alkaline digestion, solvent extraction, and reduction**. Here are the **20 most common methods of extracting Samarium**: --- # **20 Most Common Methods of Extracting Samarium** ### **A. Extraction from Rare Earth Ores** 1. **Crushing and Grinding of Monazite or Bastnäsite** – Prepares ore for chemical treatment. 2. **Acid Digestion (H₂SO₄ or HCl) of Monazite** – Dissolves samarium and other REEs. 3. **Alkaline Digestion (NaOH) of Monazite** – Converts phosphate to soluble samarium salts. 4. **Leaching of Bastnäsite with Acid or Alkali** – Produces soluble samarium compounds. 5. **Purification by Precipitation of Thorium and Other Impurities** – Removes radioactive and heavy elements. 6. **Solvent Extraction of Samarium Salts** – Organophosphorus extractants separate Sm³⁺ from other REEs. --- ### **B. Separation and Concentration** 7. **Ion Exchange Separation of Samarium** – Separates Sm³⁺ from lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium. 8. **Fractional Precipitation Using Oxalates or Hydroxides** – Concentrates samarium from mixed REE solutions. 9. **Conversion to Samarium Carbonate (Sm₂(CO₃)₃)** – Precursor for oxide formation. 10. **Calcination to Samarium Oxide (Sm₂O₃)** – Prepares for reduction or industrial use. 11. **Selective Solvent Extraction from Mixed REE Solutions** – Enhances separation efficiency. 12. **Chelating Agent Separation** – Laboratory or pilot-scale selective extraction. --- ### **C. Reduction to Metallic Samarium** 13. **Calciothermic or Metallothermic Reduction of Sm₂O₃ → Sm** – Main industrial method. 14. **Electrolytic Reduction of Molten SmCl₃** – Produces high-purity metallic samarium. 15. **Vacuum Distillation of Metallic Samarium** – Purification for ultra-high purity Sm. 16. **Hydrogen Reduction of Samarium Halides** – Laboratory-scale method. --- ### **D. Recovery from Byproducts / Secondary Sources** 17. **Recovery from Monazite Sands during Thorium Extraction** – Samarium collected as a byproduct. 18. **Recovery from Bastnäsite Refining** – Sm separated during cerium, lanthanum, praseodymium, or neodymium extraction. 19. **Recovery from Spent Rare Earth Catalysts** – Leaching + precipitation. 20. **Recovery from Recycled Electronics Containing REEs** – Hydrometallurgical extraction. --- ✅ **Summary:** * **Main industrial sources:** Monazite, bastnäsite. * **Primary extraction steps:** Ore crushing → acid/alkaline digestion → purification → selective precipitation → reduction/electrolysis → metallic samarium. * **Metallic samarium:** Produced via calciothermic/metallothermic reduction or molten salt electrolysis. * **Byproduct sources:** Thorium extraction residues, bastnäsite processing, spent REE catalysts, recycled electronics. * **Laboratory/experimental:** Ion exchange, selective solvent extraction, vacuum distillation, hydrogen reduction. --- Next in periodic order is \*\*Europium (Eu, atomic number 63). Do you want me to continue with **20 extraction methods for Europium**?
