(names after the asteroid Ceres, discovered in 1801, 2 years before the element) Discovered by Klaproth, Berzelius and Hisinger in 1803, and prepared by Hillebrand and Norton in1875. It is the most abundant of the rare earth metals. Found in minerals including allanite, monazite, cerite, and bastanite. Large deposits found in India, Brazil and the US.
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rare earth metal, iron-gray, metallic luster, four allotropic forms, malleable, oxidizes in air, decomposes in water, most reactive of the rare earths, colorful salts
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oxide is used in incandescent gas mantles, component in "self-cleaning" ovens, glass manufacturing, carbon-arc lighting (movie industry), petroleum refining, nuclear applications