Lanthanum

China is blocking exports of these vital minerals. What makes them so special?

Optical fibers are used on Earth and in space for applications in medicine, defense, cybersecurity, and telecommunications. Parabolic research showed that

Vibrations supposedly generated by the fiery passage of an interstellar meteor through Earth's atmosphere in 2014 were actually caused by a truck, a new...

Harvard's Avi Loeb said the tiny metal fragments recovered from the Pacific Ocean originated outside our solar system - bringing him one step loser to proving his claim that they are from an alien craft.

A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities scientists and engineers discovered a new method for tuning the thermal conductivity of materials to control heat flow "on the fly." Their tuning range is the highest ever recorded among one-step processes in the field, and will open a door to developing more energy-efficient and durable electronic devices.

Scientists from Jilin University, the Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, and Skoltech have synthesized lanthanum-cerium polyhydride, a material that promises to facilitate studies of near-room-temperature superconductivity. It offers a compromise between the polyhydrides of lanthanum and cerium in terms of how much cooling and pressure it requires. This enables easier experiments,…

A new type of battery has been invented at TU Wien (Vienna): The oxygen-ion battery can be extremely durable, does not require rare elements and solves the problem of fire hazards.

Two-dimensional monolayer nanosheets made from layered perovskite have many desirable properties. However, it has been difficult to create them with tunable bandgaps in the visible region without adding oxygen defects. Recently, researchers from Japan were able to successfully develop chemically stable nanosheets from perovskite oxynitrides which had controllable bandgaps. These nanosheets have immense potential…

In Germany, wind power turbines, catalytic converters, optical cables and plasma monitors: They all contain Rare Earth metals. Since these 17 metal elements are indispensable to modern technologies, cost and demand are constantly rising. Minable deposits are limited and production is often difficult and harmful to the environment. Recycling these resources as efficiently as possible, […]

New material reduces pressures needed more than a hundredfold, but experts urge caution over structural questions and previously retracted research

Nylon-6 is a tough, non-biodegradable plastic that cannot be recycled by conventional methods. A new way has now been introduced by a team from the U.S. in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

To reduce the energy requirements of the Haber-Bosch process, which converts nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia, researchers from Tokyo Tech have developed a metal nitride catalyst containing an active ...

The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions - Analysis and key findings. A report by the International Energy Agency.

Experts say proposed deal with U.S. makes no sense

Imagine plants not just sipping nutrients dissolved in water, but actually munching on tiny mineral particles straight from the soil. A study sheds light on how wheat and lettuce aren't just passive feeders—they actively grab, transport, and utilize solid minerals from their roots all the way to their shoots.

Astronauts used ZBLAN preform, which is a glass alloy compromised of barium, zirconium, lanthanum, aluminum fluorides, and sodium, in their tests. These glass rods are used in...

Last summer, a Harvard professor claimed tiny pellets of iron came from beyond our solar system. But new analyses suggest that they likely originated much closer to home.

Researchers have engineered a protein that sorts crucial rare earth elements quickly and without any of the noxious chemicals currently used.

The dream of zero resistance is closer than you may think.

Mountain Pass sits at the center of America's plan to rival China's iron grip on critical rare earth elements used in advanced commercial and military technology.