| Agent Name |
Cerium |
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| CAS Number |
7440-45-1 |
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| Formula |
Ce |
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| Major Category |
Metals |
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| Synonyms |
Cerium, turnings or gritty powder [UN3078] [Dangerous when
wet]; [ChemIDplus]
|
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| Category |
Rare Earth Metals |
|---|
| Description |
Gray solid; [CAMEO] Ceric salts: yellow or red-orange; Cerous salts: usually white; [Reference #1] Ductile and higly reactive; Readily oxidizes; [Hawley] |
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| Sources/Uses |
Used in metal alloys, in polishing agents, and in glass; [Ullmann] Sources: most abundant of the "rare earth" metals, it is obtained mainly from monazite, and bastnasite mineral deposits. Large deposits are found in India, Brazil, and the United States. Uses: to manufacture flints for cigarette lighters (misch metal); to make incandescent gas mantles, self-cleaning ovens, carbon arc lighting, and glass; as an analytical reagent (Cerium sulfate); to polish glass (Cerium oxide); and as a catalyst in petroleum refining; [Reference #1] |
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| Comments |
Reacts violently with water and produces flammable gas on contact with moist air; May produce corrosive solutions; [CAMEO] Oxidizes readily in air at room temperature; Pure metal may ignite if scratched with a knife; [Reference #1] See "RARE EARTH METALS." |
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| Reference Link |
http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/58.html |
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| Exposure Assessment |
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| Explanatory Notes |
ERG is for Cerium, turnings or gritty powder [UN3078] mp = 798 deg C; [Merck Index] |
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| Adverse Effects |
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| Dermatotoxin |
Skin Burns |
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| Links to Other NLM Databases |
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