Praseodymium (etc.) Trivia Question(s)

  • Thread starter questar
  • Start date
In summary, there is some confusion about the first isolation of praseodymium, with sources citing different years and individuals. However, it is generally accepted that the first pure sample of metallic praseodymium was produced in 1931. Neodymium was also isolated in 1925, and other rare elements such as promethium and technetium were isolated in the mid-1900s. Online resources like Google and Wikipedia can provide more information on the history of pure elements.
  • #1
questar
10
0
Who first isolated praseodymium in 1931?

To date, I've been unable to find a single source that consistently provides names and years or both for the first isolation of every element. Thus far I've names and years of the first recorded isolations of each element up to praseodymium (carbon, sulfur, iron, copper, silver and tin notwithstanding). But I've hit a wall and all I can find is a year.

Now I see the same problem with neodymium, that apparently was isolated in 1925.
So who first isolated neodymium in 1925?

Promethium was first isolated by Jacob Marinsky, Lawrence Glendenin and Charles Coryell of America in 1945. O.K, but what about samarium, europium and gadolinium, etc. In addition, if anybody can provide a source such as "the history of pure elements" (which isn't a real source), I for one would be grateful.

By the way, technetium was first isolated in the Belgian Congo by B.T. Kenna and P.K. Kuroda in 1962. This was a pain to find and I don't know anything else about these two as I suppose wiki didn't think being the first to isolate a rare element is worthy of a wiki page. Thank you.
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
  • #3
questar said:
Who first isolated praseodymium in 1931?

To date, I've been unable to find a single source that consistently provides names and years or both for the first isolation of every element. Thus far I've names and years of the first recorded isolations of each element up to praseodymium (carbon, sulfur, iron, copper, silver and tin notwithstanding). But I've hit a wall and all I can find is a year.

Now I see the same problem with neodymium, that apparently was isolated in 1925.
So who first isolated neodymium in 1925?

Promethium was first isolated by Jacob Marinsky, Lawrence Glendenin and Charles Coryell of America in 1945. O.K, but what about samarium, europium and gadolinium, etc. In addition, if anybody can provide a source such as "the history of pure elements" (which isn't a real source), I for one would be grateful.

By the way, technetium was first isolated in the Belgian Congo by B.T. Kenna and P.K. Kuroda in 1962. This was a pain to find and I don't know anything else about these two as I suppose wiki didn't think being the first to isolate a rare element is worthy of a wiki page. Thank you.

You know, Google and Wiki are your friends here. You can find a lot of information online about when the pure forms of various elements were isolated and in most cases who was first to do so.
 
  • #4
Borek said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Auer_von_Welsbach, 1885, not 1931.

Welsbach discovered praseodymium and neodymium from Mosander's "didymium" when he separared them in the form of their oxides... a pure sample of metallic praseodymium was was not produced in 1931, not 1885.
 
  • #5
SteamKing said:
You know, Google and Wiki are your friends here. You can find a lot of information online about when the pure forms of various elements were isolated and in most cases who was first to do so.

questar said:
Who first isolated praseodymium in 1931?

To date, I've been unable to find a single source that consistently provides names and years or both for the first isolation of every element. Thus far I've names and years of the first recorded isolations of each element up to praseodymium (carbon, sulfur, iron, copper, silver and tin notwithstanding). But I've hit a wall and all I can find is a year.

Now I see the same problem with neodymium, that apparently was isolated in 1925.
So who first isolated neodymium in 1925?

Promethium was first isolated by Jacob Marinsky, Lawrence Glendenin and Charles Coryell of America in 1945. O.K, but what about samarium, europium and gadolinium, etc. In addition, if anybody can provide a source such as "the history of pure elements" (which isn't a real source), I for one would be grateful.

By the way, technetium was first isolated in the Belgian Congo by B.T. Kenna and P.K. Kuroda in 1962. This was a pain to find and I don't know anything else about these two as I suppose wiki didn't think being the first to isolate a rare element is worthy of a wiki page. Thank you.

Just a little disrespectful... assuming of course that the word "disrespectful" is not an absolute adjective.
 
  • #6
A couple of good places to start for those that care to know.

http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/content/elements.html
... and the book entitled "Nature's Building Blocks" by John Emsley that states "A pure sample of metallic praseodymium was first produced in 1931." Praseodymium is a metal.
 
Last edited:

1. What is praseodymium?

Praseodymium is a chemical element with the symbol Pr and atomic number 59. It is a soft, silvery-white, rare earth metal that is commonly used in magnets, lasers, and other electronic devices.

2. How did praseodymium get its name?

The element was named after the Greek words "prasios didymos," which mean "green twin." This is because praseodymium salts have a green color and were often found alongside another rare earth element, neodymium, which means "new twin."

3. What are some common uses of praseodymium?

Praseodymium is primarily used in magnets for electric motors, generators, and headphones. It is also used in lasers for medical and industrial applications, as well as in certain types of glass for goggles and lenses.

4. Is praseodymium toxic?

In its pure form, praseodymium is not toxic. However, its compounds can be slightly toxic if ingested or inhaled in large quantities. It is important to handle praseodymium and its compounds with proper safety precautions.

5. How rare is praseodymium?

Praseodymium is considered a rare earth element, meaning it is found in relatively low concentrations in the Earth's crust. However, it is more abundant than some other rare earth elements and is not as expensive or difficult to obtain as some of them.

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top