Gadolinium

Element category: Lanthanide

Gadolinium is a soft, silvery, malleable, and ductile metal. It is a member of the periodic table's lanthanide group.

Gadolinium has no large-scale applications but has a variety of specialized uses. For example, gadolinium metal can improve the workability and resistance to several alloys' high temperatures. Gadolinium can be used in neutron therapy; gadolinium alloys are used to make magnets and electronic components.

Like most rare earths, gadolinium forms trivalent ions, which have fluorescent properties. Gadolinium (III) compounds are used for making green phosphorous for color TV tubes.