Lanthanum Powder

Lanthanum Powder is derived from elemental Lanthanum metal, a soft, malleable, silver-white rare earth element. In its powdered form, it presents as a fine, reactive gray material. As a foundational member of the light rare earth elements (LREE), high-purity Lanthanum powder is a critical raw material enabling innoviation across diverse high-tech industries, from energy storage to advanced metallurgy and optics.

Key Physical & Chemical Properties

Appearance: Fine gray powder (elemental metal appears silver-white).

Reactivity: Highly reactive, especially with air and moisture.

• Air Exposure: Darkens rapidly in dry air due to surface oxidation. Reacts vigorously in moist air, leading to corrosion and oxidation to lanthanum hydroxide/oxide.
• Water Reaction: Reacts exothermically with water, releasing hydrogen gas (2La+6H₂O→2La(OH)₃+3H₂).
• Acid Solubility: Soluble in dilute mineral acids (e.g., HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃), forming corresponding salts.

Compound Formation: Reacts directly at elevated temperatures with numerous elements to form critical compounds:

• Carbides (LaC₂), Nitrides (LaN), Hydrides (LaH₃), Borides (LaB₆), Selenides/Tellurides (La₂Se₃, La₂Te₃), Silicides (LaSi₂), Phosphides, Sulfides (La₂S₃), Halides (LaF₃, LaCl₃, LaBr₃, LaI₃).

Pyrophoricity: Fine powder is highly pyrophoric. It can ignite spontaneously upon exposure to air, heat, sparks, or strong oxidizers. Larger forms (rod, ingot) are typically stored under inert liquids like kerosene or paraffin to prevent reaction.

Handling&Packaging: Crucially, Lanthanum Powder is exclusively packaged under inert gas (Argon) in vacuum-sealed, robust containers to ensure safety and preserve purity during transport and storage. Strict handling protocols (glove box, inert atmosphere) are mandatory.

Lanthanum Powder

Applications

1.Hydrogen Economy & Energy Storage

• Hydrogen Storage Material: Lanthanum forms stable hydrides (LaH₃) capable of reversibly absorbing and releasing hydrogen, making it a key component in research and development of solid-state hydrogen storage systems for fuel cells and clean energy applications.
• Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) Batteries: Lanthanum-rich mischmetal (often including Ce, Nd, Pr) is a vital component in the negative electrode (anode ) of NiMH batteries, enabling higher energy density and longer cycle life compared to older NiCd batteries. Widely used in hydrid/electric vehicles (EVs), power tools, and portable electronics.

2.Advanced Metallurgy & Alloy Production

• Master Alloys: Acts as a powerfull reducing agent in the thermite reduction process for producing other high-purity rare earth metals.
• Alloy Modifier: Small additions significantly enhance the properties of various base metals. Steelmaking: Improves ductility, toughness, and machinability; reduces sulfur content; enhances oxidation resistance. Non-Ferrous Alloys (Mg,Al):Refines grain structure, improves strength, creep resistance, and castability. Specialty Alloys: We supply key alloys including nickel-lanthanum (NiLa₅ for hydrogen storage/separation and specialty catalysts); Lead-Silver-Lanthanum (Pb-Ag-La for battery grids for improving corrosion resistance); Copper-Chromium-Lanthanum (Cu-Cr-La enhances strength, conductivity, and high-temperature stability for electrical contacts and conductors); Silver-bismuth-lanthanum (Ag-Bi-La potential for low-melting point solders for specialty contacts); Molybdenum-Lanthanum /Tungsten-Lanthanum (Mo-La/W-La improves recrystallization temperature, ductility, and high-temperature strength for lighting filaments, furnace components, and aerospace parts); Cerium-lanthanum alloys ( core components for mischmetal used in lighter flints, battery alloys, and aluminum modification).

3. Catalysis

• Automotive Catalytic Converters: Lanthanum oxide (derived from the metal) is a crucial stabilizer in the washcoat of three-way catalytic converters (TWCs), preventing sintering of precious metals (Pt, Pd, Rh) and maintaining high surface area and efficiency for reducing NO_x, CO, and hydrocarbon emissions.
• Refining & Petrochemicals: Used in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts to enhance gasoline yield and octane number in oil refineries. Also explored in catalysts for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions.

4.High-Performance Optics

• Camera & Telescope Lenses: Lanthanum oxide is a key ingredient in high-refractive-index, low-dispersion optical glasses (e.g., “lanthanum crown” or “LaK” glasses). This enables the production of lighter, smaller, high-performance camera lenses, telescope objectives, and binoculars with superior color correction and reduced aberrations.

5.Electronic Materials

• Thermionic Emission: Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB₆) cathodes, derived from La powder, are high-brightness, long-life electron sources for electron microscopes (SEM, TEM) and e-beam lithography systems.
• Capacitors: Lanthanum is used in specific formulations of dielectric materials for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).

6.Pyrophoric Applications

• Flints & Ignition Devices: Alloys like cerium-lanthanum mischmetal are the primary component in “flints” for lighters and ignition devices, producing hot sparks upon friction.