The History of Rare Earth Elements

Discovery: 1794
Discoverer: Johan Gadolin
Method: Gadolin discovered yttrium in a mineral called gadolinite from a quarry in Ytterby, Sweden. He identified it as a new element through chemical analysis.
Immediate Repercussions: This discovery opened the door to the identification of other rare earth elements within the same mineral.

Discovery: 1803
Discoverers: Martin Heinrich Klaproth, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, and Wilhelm Hisinger independently
Method: Cerium was discovered in the mineral cerite. Both teams identified it as a new element through chemical analysis.
Immediate Repercussions: Cerium’s discovery led to further research into the minerals containing rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1839
Discoverer: Carl Gustav Mosander
Method: Mosander separated lanthanum from cerium nitrate. He identified it as a distinct element through its unique properties.
Immediate Repercussions: The discovery of lanthanum marked the beginning of the differentiation of rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1842
Discoverer: Carl Gustaf Mosander
Method: Mosander separated erbium from yttria using chemical methods.
Immediate Repercussions: Erbium’s discovery contributed to the classification and understanding of the rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1843
Discoverer: Carl Gustaf Mosander
Method: Mosander discovered terbium as a fraction of the mineral yttria, using chemical separation techniques.
Immediate Repercussions: Terbium’s identification was part of the broader effort to understand and categorize rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1878
Discoverers: Marc Delafontaine and Jacques-Louis Soret, independently by Per Teodor Cleve
Method: Holmium was identified through spectroscopic analysis of erbium oxide residues.
Immediate Repercussions: The discovery was a step forward in distinguishing the rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1879
Discoverer: Per Teodor Cleve
Method: Thulium was separated from the mineral erbia using chemical analysis.
Immediate Repercussions: Thulium’s identification added to the expanding catalogue of rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1879
Discoverer: Lars Fredrik Nilson
Method: Scandium was discovered in the minerals euxenite and gadolinite. Nilson used spectroscopic analysis to identify the new element.
Immediate Repercussions: Scandium’s discovery confirmed Dmitri Mendeleev’s predictions about the periodic table, supporting the periodic law.

Discovery: 1879
Discoverer: Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Method: Samarium was discovered in the mineral samarskite through spectroscopic analysis.
Immediate Repercussions: Its discovery added to the growing list of rare earth elements, enhancing the study of their chemical properties.

Discovery: 1880
Discoverer: Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
Method: Gadolinium was discovered in the mineral gadolinite using spectroscopic analysis.
Immediate Repercussions: The discovery contributed to the knowledge of rare earth elements and their chemical behaviours.

Discovery: 1886
Discoverer: Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Method: Dysprosium was separated from holmium oxide using spectroscopic methods.
Immediate Repercussions: Dysprosium’s magnetic properties were not immediately recognized but would later become crucial in high-tech applications.

Discovery: 1885
Discoverer: Carl Auer von Welsbach
Method: Welsbach separated praseodymium from a mixture of rare earth elements using fractional crystallisation.
Immediate Repercussions: This discovery refined the understanding of rare earth elements and their separation techniques.

Discovery: 1885
Discoverer: Carl Auer von Welsbach
Method: Alongside praseodymium, neodymium was separated using fractional crystallisation.
Immediate Repercussions: Neodymium’s strong magnetic properties were recognised, although its applications came later..

Discovery: 1896
Discoverer: Eugène-Anatole Demarçay
Method: Demarçay separated europium from samarium-gadolinium concentrates using spectroscopic methods.
Immediate Repercussions: Europium’s phosphorescent properties would later become significant in the development of TV and LED technology.

Discovery: 1878
Discoverer: Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
Method: Ytterbium was separated from the mineral ytterbia using chemical separation techniques.
Immediate Repercussions: The discovery helped refine the understanding of rare earth minerals and their compositions.

Discovery: 1907
Discoverers: Georges Urbain, Carl Auer von Welsbach, and Charles James independently
Method: Lutetium was identified through separation from ytterbium using fractional crystallization and spectroscopic analysis.
Immediate Repercussions: Lutetium’s discovery marked the completion of the identification of the naturally occurring rare earth elements.

Discovery: 1945
Discoverers: Jacob A. Marinsky, Lawrence E. Glendenin, and Charles D. Coryell
Method: Promethium was identified in the fission products of uranium during research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Immediate Repercussions: The discovery filled a gap in the periodic table but had limited immediate practical applications due to its radioactivity.