The Rare Earth Elements | D. N. Trifonov

Certain elements and their compounds, previously considered rare and of no practical interest, are being introduced on a large scale in industry to meet the growing demands of the modern world.

The family of rare-earth elements (lanthanides), which in­ cludes approximately one-fifth of all the metals occurring on the earth, is of very great interest for several reasons. The peculiar physical and chemical properties of the lanthanides and their compounds, and their relatively high abundance on the earth’s crust, have engaged the attention not only of individuals taking an interest in science but also of entire scientific bodies. Un­ fortunately, however, the scale on which these elements are used in Soviet industry is far from adequate. This is so, although the Soviet Union possesses very rich deposits of rare-earth ores and all that is necessary for their extensive application in industry and, in particular, in metallurgy.

The author, a research worker at the Institute of the History of Science and Technology of the Academy of Sciences, U.S.S.R. has given an account, which is both lively and easily intelligible, of the long and extremely involved history of the discovery of these elements, their properties, the methods for their separation, the present state of the problem and some prospects of future developments in this branch of chemistry.

Although the book is primarily intended for laymen, special­ ists also are likely to find some interesting facts in it. It is to be hoped that the engaging story told here will not only succeed in creating an interest for this field among people with little knowledge of it but also help those concerned with bordering domains of science and technology to form a clearer concep­ tion of the immense potentialities inherent in the extensive use of these elements, which possess such unique properties.