Lanthanum
The lightest rare-earth metal, used in nickel–metal hydride battery electrodes, FCC and automotive catalysts, optical glasses and polishing compounds. Abundant among REEs but still tied to concentrated separation capacity.
Overview
Lanthanum (symbol La, atomic number 57) is a soft, ductile rare-earth metal with a density of about 6.15 g/cm³ and a melting point near 920°C. In automotive history it was a cornerstone of nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) battery anodes for hybrid electric vehicles, where lanthanum-rich mischmetal alloys store hydrogen. Although Li-ion chemistries have displaced NiMH in most new EV programmes, lanthanum remains relevant in residual HEV fleets, catalyst formulations, camera and lighting optics, and precision glass polishing (lanthanum oxide). Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts consume large industrial volumes outside the vehicle BOM but illustrate lanthanum’s scale in refining. Supply follows light rare-earth mining and separation, led by China with contributions from Australia and the United States. Relative abundance keeps lanthanum cheaper than heavy rare earths, yet processing concentration and catalyst/optics demand still place it on many critical-minerals monitoring lists.
Automotive Applications
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Properties
Category
Type
Rare Earth Element
Available Colors
Available Forms
Key Properties
- Lightest rare-earth element
- Hydrogen-storage capability in NiMH anode alloys
- Widely used in optical glass and polishing powders
- Relatively abundant vs heavy rare earths
- Soft, highly reactive metal
- Supply still linked to Chinese-dominated REE separation
Technical Specifications
Density
6.15 g/cm³
Tensile Strength
Not used as a structural metal; consumed in battery, catalyst and optical forms
Temperature Resistance
Melts at ~920°C; NiMH and catalyst duty cycles governed by system design (typically well below metal melting point)
Sustainability
Sustainability Rating
Lanthanum from NiMH batteries is recoverable through established battery recycling routes, though Li-ion displacement is reducing future scrap volumes of this type. Catalyst and polishing uses are more dissipative. Primary production shares the environmental footprint of light rare-earth mining and solvent extraction.