Samarium

Samarium (Sm) is a moderately hard, silver-white rare earth metal with atomic number 62 belonging to the lanthanide series. Its atomic weight is 150.36 u, melting point 1074°C, boiling point about 1794°C, and density 7.52 g/cm3. Samarium occurs naturally in several minerals including the ores bastnäsite and monazite.

Samarium has important applications in the electronics industry, particularly in manufacturing permanent magnets. Samarium-cobalt magnets (SmCo5 or Sm2Co17) are widely used in high-performance electric motors, microwave technology, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because of their high magnetic strength and excellent thermal stability. These magnets can operate at high temperatures without losing significant magnetism, an indispensable trait for precise high-temperature applications.

Additionally, samarium is used in electronic ceramics, especially in dielectric material production for capacitors to enhance their performance and working temperature range. In nuclear technology, the samarium isotope Sm-149 serves as a neutron absorber and can be implemented in control rods to regulate nuclear reactors.

These applications of samarium demonstrate the vital role of rare earth elements in high-tech fields, where despite their small quantities, their contribution to modern technologies is irreplaceable.