Gadolinium is a silvery-white metal with moderate ductility and hardness, exhibiting a relative stability in air. Over time, however, it undergoes tarnishing, resulting in the formation of a thin Gd2O3 film on its surface. As the most abundant heavy rare earth element (HREE) in the Earth’s crust, Gadolinium finds application in Neodymium magnets as a replacement for Praseodymium Neodymium mischmetal. This substitution effectively reduces the cost without affecting magnetic properties.
Gadolinium is typically used in the form of Gadolinium Iron alloy. That is because rare earth Iron alloys possess more appropriate melting point and density which beneficial to enhance yield rate of rare earth elements. Additionally, the chemical stability of rare earth Iron alloy surpasses that of pure rare earth metal. Gadolinium Iron alloy has long served as common raw material of Neodymium magnets. Gadolinium may experience oversupply, overstock, or low price in a certain period and cause many magnet manufacturers utilize Gadolinium to substitute Neodymium. Strictly speaking, it is an inefficient utilization of rare earth resource. Gadolinium Iron alloy price trend is basically align with the price movement of mainstream rare earth products.
