Oxide Information Center

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Oxide Ion Nearly all metals form stable crystalline oxides which are insoluble in water. The properties of metallic oxides make them the basis for all ceramics from uses as simple as producing clay bowls to advanced electronic and solid oxide fuel cell applications.

The oxide anion, O ^-2, readily bonds with electropositive metallic cations, such as Yttrium (Y₂O₃), Hafnium (HfO₂) and Scandium (Sc₂O₃) and transition metals, such as Cobalt (CoO), Nickel (NiO) and Manganese (MnO₂), to form basic anyhydrides. Electronegative anions can form soluble acidic compounds or acidic anhydrides. Some metallic oxides, such as Aluminum (AL₂O₃) form oxide compounds that are both acidic and basic. These oxides are referred to as amphoteric.

Numerous metals are found in nature, and therefore mined and refined, only as their oxide compound. For example, the entire rare earth or lanthanide series of elements, which includes Lanthanum (La₂O₃), Cerium (CeO₂), Praseodymium (Pr₆O₁₁), Neodymium (Nd₂O₃), Samarium (Sm₂O₃), Europium (Eu₂O₃), Gadolinium (Gd₂O₃), Terbium (Tb₄O₇), Dysprosium (Dy₂O₃), Holmium (Ho₂O₃), Erbium (Er₂O₃), Thulium (Tm₂O₃), Ytterbium (Yb₂O₃), and Lutetium (Lu₂O₃) are only found in nature as their oxide and the metallic form of these elements must be chemically/physically reduced from the oxide.

Many other metallic compounds are readily soluble in water, such as chlorides and nitrates. Fluorides tend to be the other major metallic compound also insoluble in water.

The Oxygen ion was first identified in 1774 by Joseph Priestly, an English preacher, who was a contemporary and colleague of Benjamin Franklin. It was believed that all acids contained oxygen which is why it was named after the Greek words gennan meaning 'generate' and oxus meaning 'acid'.

Oxide purities include 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, 99.999% and 99.9999% which are sometimes referred to as 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N and 6N.Physical properties include nanopowder, nano particle, submicron, - 325 mesh, rod, foil, and high surface area oxide with particle distribution and particle size controlled and certified. We produce larger - 40 mesh, - 100 mesh, -200 mesh range sizes and < 0.5 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm and other mm size shot, granules, lump, flake and pieces, too.

American Elements also produces stable isotopes of numerous oxides, such as Dysprosium-161 Oxide, Gadolinium-156 Oxide, Lutetium-176 Oxide, Neodymium-150 Oxide, and Ytterbium-172 Oxide.