Lanthanum Metal And Oxides

Product Details

Lanthanum, atomic no.: 57, symbol as La, weight at 138.91, is the first element in the rare earth or Lanthanide series. It is the model for all the other trivalent rare earths. After Cerium, it is the second most abundant of the rare earths. Lanthanum-rich Lanthanide compounds have been used extensively for cracking reactions in FCC catalysts, especially to manufacture high-octane gasoline from heavy crude oil. Lanthanum-Rich Rare Earth metals play the important roles in hydrogen storage batteries. It is utilized in green phosphors based on the phosphate (La0.4Ce0.45Tb0.15)PO4. It is utilized in laser crystals based on the Yttrium-Lanthanum-Fluoride (YLF) composition. Lanthanum Fluoride is used in phosphor lamp coatings. Lanthanum Fluoride (LaF3) is an essential component of a heavy Fluoride glass named ZBLAN. This glass has superior transmittance in the infrared range and is therefore used for fiber-optical communication systems. Lanthanum Oxide and the Boride are used in electronic vacuum tubes as hot cathode materials with strong emissivity of electrons. Crystals of LaB6 are used in high brightness, extended life, thermionic electron emission sources for electron microscopes, and Hall effect thrusters. Lanthanum(III) Oxide (La2O3) improves the alkali resistance of glass, and is used in making special optical glasses, such as infrared-absorbing glass, as well as camera and telescope lenses, because of the high refractive index and low dispersion of rare-earth glasses. Lanthanum Oxide is also used as a grain growth additive during the liquid phase sintering of Silicon Nitride and Zirconium Diboride.