Gadolinium Metal - Material Information

Gadolinium is a silvery-white, ductile rare-earth metal belonging to the lanthanide series, known for its remarkable magnetic and thermal properties. Discovered in 1880 by J.C. Galissard and isolated by P.E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran, gadolinium plays a vital role in advanced technologies ranging from medical imaging to magnetic refrigeration. Its high magnetic moment and strong neutron absorption capacity make it a material of interest in energy, healthcare, and electronics research.

Material Overview

Gadolinium crystallizes in a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure at room temperature and transforms into a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure above 1235 K. It has a Curie temperature of approximately 293 K, where it transitions from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic, a property central to its magnetocaloric effect applications. Gadolinium exhibits a thermal conductivity of around 10.6 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ and a specific heat capacity of 0.236 J·g⁻¹·K⁻¹. Studies by Guo and Tang (2019) revealed that coating gadolinium with a thin aluminum layer (10–15 µm) enhances corrosion resistance by up to 90% and improves thermal diffusivity, making it suitable for magnetocaloric heat exchangers. Similarly, Zamni et al. (2012) and Forchelet et al. (2014) confirmed that controlled surface passivation and optimized working fluids can significantly prolong gadolinium’s operational life without diminishing its magnetocaloric efficiency.

Applications and Advantages

Gadolinium’s unique magnetic and neutron absorption characteristics make it invaluable across multiple sectors. It is used in magnetic refrigeration systems, MRI contrast agents, and as neutron absorbers in nuclear reactors. Recent surface engineering advancements, such as the copper electrodeposition–anodising method developed by Sun et al. (2024), have increased corrosion resistance by nearly 99%, extending gadolinium’s service life in aqueous environments. In addition, gadolinium-copper composite coatings (Wu et al., 2015) offer improved mechanical bonding and enhanced corrosion protection while maintaining thermal conductivity. The metal’s versatility extends to spintronic devices, cryogenic sensors, and precision magnetic actuators where high magnetic saturation and stability are essential.

Goodfellow Availability

Goodfellow offers Gadolinium metal in a variety of research-grade purities and customizable dimensions suitable for laboratory and industrial applications. All forms are processed to ensure high purity and consistent physical and magnetic properties. Tailored dimensions and finishes are available to meet the specific demands of precision magnetic and thermophysical research.

Explore Gadolinium (Gd) and other advanced materials in Goodfellow’s online catalogue: Goodfellow product finder.

References

• Guo, H., & Tang, Y. (2019). Effect of aluminum coating on corrosion and heat transfer performance of magnetic refrigerant gadolinium. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology – Materials Science Edition, 34(8), 1553–1560.
• Zamni, L., El Alami, M., & Balli, M. (2012). Corrosion tests of gadolinium in various heat conducting fluids. Open-access research report.
• Forchelet, J., Zamni, L., El Maudni El Alami, S., Hu, J., Balli, M., & Sari, O. (2014). Corrosion behavior of gadolinium and La–Fe–Co–Si compounds in various heat conducting fluids. International Journal of Refrigeration, 37(1), 1–8.
• Sun, L., Ma, S., Wu, H., & Li, Z. (2024). Electrodeposition–anodising for preparing corrosion-resistant copper coatings for Gd metal. Surface Engineering.
• Wu, H., Huang, K., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Guan, Z., Qi, M., & Zhang, M. (2015). Material with gadolinium–copper alloy layer formed on pure gadolinium surface and preparation method. Chinese Patent.