Neodymium (Nd)
Neodymium (Nd) is a lanthanide with atomic number 60 and a standard atomic weight of 144.24. At room temperature it is a solid that melts at 1,016 °C and boils at 3,074 °C.
Neodymium key facts
Neodymium at a glance
Identity
| Symbol | Nd |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 60 |
| Atomic weight | 144.24 ± 0.01 (CIAAW 2024) |
| Category | Lanthanide |
| Group | — (f-block: lanthanide series) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f-block |
| CAS number | 7440-00-8 |
Atomic properties
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f4 6s2 Full: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f4 5s2 5p6 6s2 |
|---|---|
| Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 18, 22, 8, 2 |
| Oxidation states | +3 Less common: 0, +2, +4 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.14 |
| First ionisation energy | 5.525 eV (533.1 kJ/mol) 2nd: 10.783 eV · 3rd: 22.09 eV |
| Electron affinity | 1.916 eV |
| Atomic radius (empirical) | 185 pm |
| Covalent radius | 174 pm |
| Van der Waals radius | 239 pm |
Physical properties
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
|---|---|
| Melting point | 1,016 °C · 1,860.8 °F · 1,289.15 K |
| Boiling point | 3,074 °C · 5,565.2 °F · 3,347.15 K |
| Density | 7.01 g/cm³ |
| Specific heat capacity | 0.19 J/(g·K) |
| Crystal structure | Hexagonal |
Isotopes & abundance
| Natural occurrence | Primordial |
|---|---|
| Radioactive | No |
| Natural isotopes (abundance) | 142Nd 27.153%, 144Nd 23.798% (radioactive), 146Nd 17.189%, 143Nd 12.173%, 145Nd 8.293%, 148Nd 5.756% |
| Stable isotopes | 5 |
| Known isotopes | 40 |
| Abundance in Earth's crust | 41.5 mg/kg |
| Abundance in seawater | 0.0000028 mg/L |
Atomic weights: CIAAW Abridged Standard Atomic Weights 2024. Other properties: standard reference compilations, checked October 2026; predicted values are marked.
Neodymium electron configuration
Neodymium has 60 electrons. Written in short form, its ground-state configuration is [Xe] 4f4 6s2 — the electrons of the noble gas xenon, plus 4f4 6s2.Written out in full: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f4 5s2 5p6 6s2.
Discovery and name
1885 — Carl Auer von Welsbach · Austria.
Greek neos didymos, new twin.
Known for
Neodymium–iron–boron magnets are the strongest permanent magnets, used in electric-vehicle motors, wind turbines, headphones and hard drives.
Isotopes of neodymium
Naturally occurring neodymium is a mix of 7 isotopes. Each has 60 protons; they differ in the number of neutrons:
| Isotope | Protons | Neutrons | Natural abundance | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 142Nd | 60 | 82 | 27.153% | stable |
| 144Nd | 60 | 84 | 23.798% | radioactive · half-life 2.29 × 10¹⁵ years |
| 146Nd | 60 | 86 | 17.189% | stable |
| 143Nd | 60 | 83 | 12.173% | stable |
| 145Nd | 60 | 85 | 8.293% | stable |
| 148Nd | 60 | 88 | 5.756% | stable |
| 150Nd | 60 | 90 | 5.638% | radioactive · half-life 9.3 × 10¹⁸ years |
40 isotopes of neodymium are known in our data set (half-lives as published in nuclear data tables).
Neodymium and its neighbours in the lanthanide series
Neighbouring elements in the same f-block series:
| Element | Z | Atomic weight | Melting point | Boiling point | Density | Electronegativity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanthanum | 57 | 138.91 | 920 °C | 3,464 °C | 6.15 g/cm³ | 1.1 |
| Cerium | 58 | 140.12 | 799 °C | 3,443 °C | 6.77 g/cm³ | 1.12 |
| Praseodymium | 59 | 140.91 | 931 °C | 3,520 °C | 6.773 g/cm³ | 1.13 |
| Neodymium | 60 | 144.24 | 1,016 °C | 3,074 °C | 7.01 g/cm³ | 1.14 |
| Promethium | 61 | [145] | 1,042 °C | 3,000 °C | 7.26 g/cm³ | 1.13 |
| Samarium | 62 | 150.36 | 1,072 °C | 1,794 °C | 7.52 g/cm³ | 1.17 |
| Europium | 63 | 151.96 | 822 °C | 1,529 °C | 5.24 g/cm³ | 1.2 |