Rare earth elements sound very rare, but Cerium is about the 25th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and is sometimes jokingly referred to as the “least rare rare earth element”. It was first discovered in 1803 by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who named it Cerium after the dwarf planet Ceres.
Chemical Symbols：Ce
Atomic Number：58
Atomic Weight：140.116 u
Atomic structure: The outermost electronic structure of Cerium is 4f1 5d1 6s2.
Physical Properties: Cerium is a silver-white metal with relatively high melting and boiling points. It is relatively soft at room temperature and has good ductility and plasticity.
Cerium is characterized by its diversity and widespread presence. Cerium is relatively abundant in the earth’s crust compared to other rare earth elements and is commonly found in minerals and rocks, where its presence is ubiquitous and ubiquitous. Despite its widespread presence, Cerium has not received sufficient attention for many years. However, in recent years, with the continuous development of technology and industrial progress, people have begun to recognize the importance and potential of Cerium, which plays a key role in a number of areas, especially in high-tech products and environmental protection.
Cerium’s main areas of application:
Electronics: Cerium’s optical properties make it a key material for products such as liquid crystal displays and LED lighting. It is capable of producing different wavelengths of light, which helps to produce rich colors and high contrast displays.
Environmental Technology: Cerium compounds are widely used as catalysts in automotive exhaust treatment systems, helping to convert harmful nitrogen oxides into harmless substances and reducing the environmental impact of exhaust fumes.
Energy: Cerium is used in solar panels and battery technology to help improve energy conversion efficiency and energy storage performance. At the same time, Cerium’s unique properties have led to applications in nuclear energy research.
We must also recognize that although cerium is abundant in the earth’s crust, its extraction and application need to be treated with caution. Over-exploitation may cause irreversible damage to the environment and waste of resources. Therefore, while pursuing technological advances, we should utilize Cerium in a sustainable manner to ensure its availability in the future.
