Researchers at Germany's Technical University of Darmstadt shone a laser onto a tiny opaque crystal studded with electrically charged atoms
of praseodymium, a rare earth element.
The nickelate that the Argonne team has created is a quasi-two-dimensional trilayer compound, meaning that it consists of three layers of nickel oxide that are separated by spacer layers
of praseodymium oxide.
Not exact matches
The mine could supply up to 10 %
of world demand for neodymium and
praseodymium, used in the manufacture
of magnets for wind turbines, and electric vehicles.
The process employs a strong acid and a base to separate the rare earths — the so - called chlor — alkali solvent extraction method — but it still will not produce pure rare earths; rather it will yield oxides
of cerium, lanthanum,
praseodymium and neodymium.
Three days later, Zhong - Xian Zhao
of the IoP reported that
praseodymium oxygen fluorine iron arsenide (PrO1 - xFxFeAs) has a «critical temperature»
of 52 kelvin.
Two other rare - earth metals, neodymium and
praseodymium, work their magic at the other end
of the spectrum.
Didymium appeared in many lists
of elements at this time, but it was later proved to consist
of two elements,
praseodymium and neodymium.