Lanthanated Molybdenum Specimen

See more Lanthanum products. Lanthanum (atomic symbol: La, atomic number: 57) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 138.90547. The number of electrons in each of lanthanum's shells is [2, 8, 18, 18, 9, 2] and its electron configuration is [Xe] 5d¹ 6s². The lanthanum atom has a radius of 187 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 240 pm. Lanthanum was first discovered by Carl Mosander in 1838. In its elemental form, lanthanum has a silvery white appearance. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal that oxidizes easily in air. Lanthanum is the first element in the rare earth or lanthanide series. It is the model for all the other trivalent rare earths and it is the second most abundant of the rare earths after cerium. Lanthanum is found in minerals such as monazite and bastnasite. The name lanthanum originates from the Greek word Lanthaneia, which means 'to lie hidden'.

See more Molybdenum products. Molybdenum (atomic symbol: Mo, atomic number: 42) is a Block D, Group 6, Period 5 element with an atomic weight of 95.96. The number of electrons in each of molybdenum's shells is [2, 8, 18, 13, 1] and its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d⁵ 5s¹. The molybdenum atom has a radius of 139 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 209 pm. In its elemental form, molybdenum has a gray metallic appearance. Molybdenum was discovered by Carl Wilhelm in 1778 and first isolated by Peter Jacob Hjelm in 1781. Molybdenum is the 54th most abundant element in the earth's crust. It has the third highest melting point of any element, exceeded only by tungsten and tantalum. Molybdenum does not occur naturally as a free metal, it is found in various oxidation states in minerals. The primary commercial source of molybdenum is molybdenite, although it is also recovered as a byproduct of copper and tungsten mining. The origin of the name Molybdenum comes from the Greek word molubdos meaning lead.