Lanthanum: Properties, Uses and Effect

Lanthanum (La) is a chemical element that is the prototype of the lanthanide series of elements. Lanthanides are a group of 15 chemical elements with atomic numbers ranging from lanthanum to lutetium (atomic numbers 57–71) in the periodic table. These lanthanide elements, including lanthanum which acts as the prototype of the series, are rare-earth metals in Group 3 of the periodic table. The rare-earth minerals monazite and bastnasite contain lanthanum. In the upper continental crust of the Earth, it is as plentiful as cobalt.

Keyterms: Lanthanum, Prototype, Elements, Lanthanide series, Lutetium, Cobalt, Earth, Rare earth metals

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Lanthanum: Introduction

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In 1839, lanthanum was discovered by Swedish surgeon and chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute. He distinguished it from cerium oxide (ceria) by mixing diluted nitric acid with powdered cerium nitrate (Ce(NO₃)₃) and found a new oxide called lanthana (La₂O₃). The word "lanthanum" was derived from the Greek word “lanthanein” which means “to be concealed”, pointing to the fact that it is difficult to isolate. Electrolysis was used to create pure lanthanum until the early twentieth century. Mosander discovered another rare-earth metal called didymium while researching lanthanum.  Eventually, didymium was discovered as a blend of two undiscovered elements of neodymium and praseodymium.

The top three producers of Lanthanum in the world are China, Malaysia, and Russia. And the top reserve holders include CIS countries like Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Ukraine, USA, China and Malaysia.

Important details regarding Lanthanum are tabulated below:

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How to locate Lanthanum in the Periodic Table?

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The atomic number, which is the same as the number of protons in the nucleus, is used to organise the periodic table. From left to right, the atomic number rises. The periodic table begins at the top left (atomic number 1) and finishes at the bottom right (atomic number 118). As a result, you can find Lanthanum on the periodic table by looking for the atomic number 57. Another technique to locate an element in a periodic table is to use the group number (column) and period number (row). Look for the cross-section of group N/A and period 6 in the contemporary periodic table to find Lanthanum.

How to locate Lanthanum in the periodic table

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Properties of Lanthanum

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Lanthanum

1. Lanthanum is a silvery-white metal that is ductile and malleable enough to be cut with a knife.
2. Lanthanum is the lanthanide with the biggest atomic radius. As a result, it is the most reactive of the group, tarnishing quickly in the air and turning entirely dark within several hours.
3. After europium, it is the strongest and hardest base of the rare-earth elements.
4. Lanthanum oxidizes to La₂O₃ in the air at ambient temperature.
5. It reacts slowly with water and dissolves fast in diluted acids, except for hydrofluoric acid (HF), forming a protective fluoride (LaF3) layer on the metal's surface.
6. Commercially, lanthanum is concentrated through the crystallization of ammonium lanthanum nitrate.

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Uses of Lanthanum

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1. Lanthanum oxide, which is highly purified, is used to make low-dispersion, high-refraction glasses for lens assemblies and radiation-absorbing glasses.
2. Lanthanum-based rare-earth compounds are generally employed in carbon-lighting applications such as cinema projection and studio lighting. They have an emission spectrum that is comparable to that of natural sunlight and help to increase brightness.
3. It is commonly utilized in hybrid autos as LaNi5-based hydrogen storage alloys and nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries.
4. Both ferrous and nonferrous alloys like superalloys, magnesium alloys, and aluminium alloys use lanthanum to scavenge oxygen, sulfur, and other impurities.
5. Lanthanum compounds are also utilised in fluorescent lighting and X-ray detectors as phosphor hosts.
6. It is a chemical that can be found in modern television sets, energy-saving bulbs, fluorescent tubes, and other electronic devices.
7. It is also utilized in the flint of cigarette lighters and is a crucial component of the mischmetal alloy.
8. Many pool products use small amounts of lanthanum to eliminate the phosphates that feed algae.
9. The ion La₃⁺ is utilised as a biological Ca₂⁺ tracer, and radioactive lanthanum has been studied as a cancer treatment.
10. When lanthanum is added to steel, it enhances its plasticity as well as its resistance to corrosion.

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Environmental Effects of Lanthanum

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Lanthanum has low toxicity, and its emissions from burning coal and mining are not regarded as environmentally dangerous. Lanthanum binds to carbonate and phosphates once it enters the environment. If it is bonded to phosphate, it forms the insoluble mineral Rhabdophane, which is harmless to the environment. It is also crucial for a few bacterial species. But according to a few studies, due to increasing amounts of lanthanum, in the presence of phosphate, animals had stunted growth, showed late maturation, and reproduced less, resulting in low population growth rates.

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Health Hazards of Lanthanum

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Lanthanum has a low to moderate level of toxicity, however, it should be handled with extreme caution. Injecting lanthanum solutions causes hyperglycemia (excess of glucose in the bloodstream), hepatic changes, reduced blood pressure, and spleen degeneration. Because the La₃⁺ ion's size is so close to that of the Ca₂⁺ ion, it's frequently used as a traced replacement in medical studies. Lanthanum, like all other lanthanides, is known to affect human metabolism. It also raises the risk of blood clotting, lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and appetite. If lanthanum is injected into the human brain, it will act as a painkiller, similar to opiates and morphine.

The primary issue with this element is its disposal. Industrial wastes, primarily from the petroleum sector, are discharged into water bodies. Plants and animals are severely harmed, and humans suffer from nervous system disorders as a result.

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Things to Remember

• Lanthanum is a silvery-white metal discovered by Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1839.
• The atomic symbol for lanthanum is La and the atomic number is 57.
• The electronic shell structure of lanthanum atoms is [2, 8, , 18, 18, 9, 2].
• Lanthanum atoms have 57 electrons, 57 protons, and 82 neutrons.
• Lanthanum tarnishes in air, and its salts are insoluble in water. It is low to moderately toxic with disposal being its biggest concern.
• Lanthanum is used in TV sets, fluorescent tubes, sustainable lamps, lenses, glasses, and petroleum refineries.

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