Neodymium is a chemical element with the symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is a silvery-white metal belonging to the lanthanide series and is one of the rare-earth elements. The metal tarnishes in air and reacts with water. Its compounds predominantly contain neodymium in the +3 oxidation state, although +2 and +4 compounds are also known. Natural neodymium contains seven isotopes, two of which are radioactive with extremely long half-lives.
The Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach discovered neodymium in 1885 when he separated didymium, previously regarded as an element, into neodymium and praseodymium. Its name derives from the Greek for 'new twin'. Neodymium occurs with other rare-earth elements in minerals such as bastnäsite and monazite, from which it is separated during refining. China is the largest producer and refiner of the rare-earth elements used in magnets, including neodymium.
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