Periodic Table of Elements

Element Cerium - Ce

Comprehensive data on the chemical element Cerium is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Cerium. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. In addition technical terms are linked to their definitions and the menu contains links to related articles that are a great aid in one's studies.

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Overview of Cerium

Cerium's Name in Other Languages

  • Latin: Cerium
  • Czech: Cer
  • Croatian: Cerij
  • French: Cérium
  • German: Cer - r
  • Italian: Cerio
  • Norwegian: Cerium
  • Portuguese: Cério
  • Russian: Церий
  • Spanish: Cério
  • Swedish: Cerium

Atomic Structure of Cerium

Chemical Properties of Cerium

Physical Properties of Cerium

Regulatory / Health

  • CAS Number
    • 7440-45-1
  • RTECS: FK4850000
  • OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
    • No limits set by OSHA
  • OSHA PEL Vacated 1989
    • No limits set by OSHA
  • NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)
    • No limits set by NIOSH
  • Levels In Humans:
    Note: this data represents naturally occuring levels of elements in the typical human, it DOES NOT represent recommended daily allowances.
    • Blood/mg dm-3: <0.002
    • Bone/p.p.m: 2.7
    • Liver/p.p.m: 0.29
    • Muscle/p.p.m: n/a
    • Daily Dietary Intake: n/a but very low
    • Total Mass In Avg. 70kg human: 40 mg

Who / Where / When / How

  • Discoverer: W. von Hisinger, J.J. Berzelius
  • Discovery Location: Vestmanland Sweden
  • Discovery Year: 1803
  • Name Origin:
    From the asteroid Ceres discovered in 1801.
  • Abundance of Cerium:
    • Earth's Crust/p.p.m.: 68
    • Seawater/p.p.m.:
      • Atlantic Suface: 0.000009
      • Atlantic Deep: 0.0000026
      • Pacific Surface: 0.0000015
      • Pacific Deep: 0.0000005
    • Atmosphere/p.p.m.: N/A
    • Sun (Relative to H=1E12): 35.5
  • Sources of Cerium:
    Most abundant rare earth metal. Found in many minerals like monazite [Ce(PO4)]. World production is around 24,000 tons per year. Main mining areas are in USA, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, China.
  • Uses of Cerium:
    Used in alloys to make them heat-resistant. Also used in glass, flints and ceramics.
  • Additional Notes:
    Cerium was first isolated by W.F. Hillebrand and T.H. Norton in 1875 in Washington DC United States.

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References

A list of reference sources used to compile the data provided on our periodic table of elements can be found on the main periodic table page.

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