Lanthanum, the first element in the lanthanide series, has played a remarkable yet often hidden role in scientific and technological advancement since its discovery in 1839. From its initial isolation as an oxide to its modern applications in everything from hybrid car batteries to optical lenses, lanthanum exemplifies how rare earth elements have become indispensable to contemporary life. This silvery-white metal, whose name derives from the Greek word meaning “to lie hidden,” has indeed emerged from obscurity to become a cornerstone material in numerous industries, demonstrating the profound impact that seemingly esoteric chemical discoveries can have on human civilization.

For more information, check out the light rare earth elements (LREEs) as a group, the heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) as a group, and all rare earth elements (REEs). Be sure to check out all other critical raw materials (CRMs), as well. The complete history of all 17 rare earth elements can be found here.

Read about the use of rare earths in quantum computing here.

A History Of Lanthanum

The history of lanthanum spans nearly two centuries, beginning with its discovery in 1839 and extending through its evolution from a chemical curiosity to an essential component in modern technology. This chronology traces lanthanum’s journey from Swedish laboratories to global industrial applications, highlighting key scientific breakthroughs, technological innovations, and the development of practical uses that have made this rare earth element indispensable in fields ranging from petroleum refining to clean energy storage.

Chronology

• 1751 – Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt discovered a heavy mineral from the mine at Bastnäs, later named cerite, which would eventually yield lanthanum [1, 3]
• 1803 – Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius and Wilhelm Hisinger isolated cerium oxide (ceria) from cerite mineral, unknowingly working with material containing lanthanum [2, 3]
• 1839 – Carl Gustaf Mosander discovered lanthanum as an impurity in cerium nitrate in Stockholm, Sweden, naming it from the Greek word “lanthanein” meaning “to lie hidden”; Axel Erdmann independently discovered lanthanum in a Norwegian mineral from Låven island, naming the mineral mosandrite after Mosander; Mosander obtained impure metallic lanthanum from anhydrous cerium chloride [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
• 1841 – Mosander announced the discovery of didymium in lanthanum samples, believing it to be another element but later proven to be a mixture [5, 12]
• 1885 – Carl Auer von Welsbach patented the gas mantle using Actinophor, a mixture containing 20% lanthanum oxide, 60% magnesium oxide, and 20% yttrium oxide; neodymium and praseodymium were separated from didymium, confirming Mosander’s lanthanum discovery [13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30]
• 1886 – Carl Auer von Welsbach established a factory in Atzgersdorf to produce gas mantles containing lanthanum [15, 22]
• 1887 – Welsbach’s first gas mantle company established a factory but failed in 1889 due to the mantles’ greenish light [16, 22]
• 1890 – Welsbach introduced an improved gas mantle based on 99% thorium dioxide and 1% cerium oxide, replacing the lanthanum-based Actinophor [17, 22]
• 1903 – Carl Auer von Welsbach invented ferrocerium, containing lanthanum to produce brighter sparks in lighter flints [18, 22, 42, 43, 49]
• 1907 – Welsbach formed Treibacher Chemische Werke GesmbH to produce ferrocerium devices containing lanthanum [19, 22]
• 1923 – H. Kremers and R. Stevens produced pure lanthanum metal by electrolysis of fused halides [5, 11, 12]
• 1945 – Paul F. De Paolis from Eastman Kodak filed U.S. Patent 2,466,392 for optical glass containing lanthanum and thorium oxides [20, 52, 55]
• 1970s – Lanthanum replaced thorium in optical glass due to radiation concerns, offering similar high refractive index and low dispersion properties [21, 56, 57]
• 1990s – Toyota began using nickel-metal hydride batteries containing lanthanum in electric vehicles [34]
• 1997 – Panasonic EV Energy Co began producing nickel-metal hydride batteries containing lanthanum for the Toyota Prius; Toyota launched the Prius in Japan using batteries containing 10-15 kg of lanthanum per vehicle [27, 34, 39]
• 2003 – Lanthanum carbonate (Fosrenol) phase III trials showed effectiveness in treating hyperphosphatemia in kidney disease patients [31, 62, 63]
• 2004 – Toyota introduced second generation Prius with nickel-metal hydride batteries containing lanthanum to global markets [32, 36, 39]
• 2008 – Clinical trials demonstrated lanthanum carbonate’s long-term safety and efficacy for phosphate control in dialysis patients [33, 63, 65]
• 2011 – Toyota introduced the Prius α (alpha) with lithium-ion batteries, though some models retained lanthanum-containing NiMH batteries [35, 39]
• 2015 – Toyota began using lithium-ion batteries in some Prius models while continuing to use lanthanum-containing NiMH batteries in others [35]
• 2019 – Toyota Prius AWD-e models continued using nickel-metal hydride batteries containing lanthanum for better cold weather performance [32, 35]
• 2021 – Research showed lanthanum’s continued importance in petroleum fluid catalytic cracking processes [37, 72, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80]
• 2023 – Studies confirmed LaNi5 hydrogen storage alloys’ effectiveness for clean energy applications [38, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91]
• 2024 – Lanthanum maintained critical roles in optical glass manufacturing for cameras and telescopes; research on lanthanum’s use in nodular cast iron production continued [40, 41, 52, 54, 57, 58, 60, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111]

Final Thoughts

Lanthanum’s journey from an undetected impurity to a critical industrial material illustrates the unpredictable paths of scientific discovery and technological innovation. What began as Carl Gustaf Mosander’s meticulous chemical detective work in 1839 has evolved into applications that touch nearly every aspect of modern life. From the gas mantles that lit European streets to the batteries powering today’s hybrid vehicles, from the catalysts refining petroleum to the specialized glass in our cameras, lanthanum has proven that elements once considered merely scientific curiosities can become foundations of technological progress.

As we face challenges of sustainable energy and environmental protection, lanthanum’s roles in hydrogen storage, battery technology, and medical applications suggest its story is far from complete, reminding us that the periodic table still holds untapped potential for addressing humanity’s future needs.

Thanks for reading!

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