Praseodymium is a soft, silvery rare earth metal used to impart magnetic and optical properties to materials.
It commonly forms +3 ions, contributes to strong permanent magnets when alloyed and colors glass and ceramics.
Praseodymium is used in high strength magnets, specialized glass, aircraft engines and lighting applications.
Stable isotope Pr 141 is natural; praseodymium compounds are handled with routine industrial precautions.
Neodymium is a rare earth metal essential for high performance permanent magnets used in motors and electronics.
It forms +3 ions, alloys readily to produce strong magnetic materials and has important optical properties in glass.
Neodymium is used in magnets for wind turbines, electric vehicles, headphones and lasers and in specialty glass.
Stable isotopes include Nd 142 to Nd 150; neodymium compounds are handled with standard industrial safety measures.
Promethium is a radioactive lanthanide produced synthetically and found only in trace amounts as fission product or made in reactors.
It exhibits typical lanthanide chemistry, is radioactive with no stable isotopes and has limited commercial uses due to scarcity and radioactivity.
Used in research, luminous paint historically and as a beta source for thickness gauges and nuclear batteries in specialized applications.
Promethium isotopes e.g., Pm 147 are radioactive and require radiological controls for handling, storage and disposal.
