Editing Neodymium (section)

===Occurrence===
[[File:Bastnaesite - Kischtimsk, Ural.jpg|thumb|left|[[Bastnäsite]]]]
Neodymium is rarely found in nature as a free element, instead occurring in ores such as [[monazite]] and [[bastnäsite]] (which are [[mineral group]]s rather than single minerals) that contain small amounts of all rare-earth elements. Neodymium is rarely dominant in these minerals, with exceptions such as monazite-(Nd) and kozoite-(Nd).<ref>
{{cite web |url=https://www.mindat.org/ |title=Mindat.org |author=Hudson Institute of Mineralogy |date=1993–2018 }}</ref> The main mining areas are in China, United States, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

The Nd<sup>3+</sup> ion is similar in size to ions of the early lanthanides of the [[cerium group]] (those from lanthanum to [[samarium]] and [[europium]]). As a result, it tends to occur along with them in [[phosphate]], [[silicate]] and [[carbonate]] minerals, such as [[monazite]] (M<sup>III</sup>PO<sub>4</sub>) and [[bastnäsite]] (M<sup>III</sup>CO<sub>3</sub>F), where M refers to all the rare-earth metals except scandium and the radioactive [[promethium]] (mostly Ce, La, and Y, with somewhat less Pr and Nd).{{sfn|Greenwood|Earnshaw|1997|pp=1229-32}} Bastnäsite is usually lacking in [[thorium]] and the heavy lanthanides, and the purification of the light lanthanides from it is less involved than from monazite. The ore, after being crushed and ground, is first treated with hot concentrated sulfuric acid, which liberates carbon dioxide, [[hydrogen fluoride]], and [[silicon tetrafluoride]]. The product is then dried and leached with water, leaving the early lanthanide ions, including lanthanum, in solution.{{sfn|Greenwood|Earnshaw|1997|pp=1229-32}}{{Failed verification|date=May 2024|reason=Source discusses treatment of both ores with HCl etc to produce LnCl3 but not treatment with sulfuric acid.}}

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-right:15px; margin-down:0; font-size:10pt; line-height:11pt;"
|+ style="margin-bottom: 5px;" | Solar System abundances{{sfn|Lodders|2003|pp=1222–1223}}
! style="text-align:center;" | Atomic<br />number
! style="width:45%;"| Element
! style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 10px;" | Relative<br />amount
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 42
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Molybdenum]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|2.771
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 47
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Silver]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|0.590
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 50
| style="text-align:center; "| [[Tin]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|4.699
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 58
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Cerium]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|1.205
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 59
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Praseodymium]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|0.205
|- style="background:#ff9;"
| style="text-align:center;" | ''60''
| style="text-align:center;"| ''Neodymium''
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|''1''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 74
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Tungsten]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"|0.054
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 90
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Thorium]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"| 0.054
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | 92
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Uranium]]
| style="padding-right:5px; text-align:right;"| 0.022
|}

====In space====
Neodymium's per-particle abundance in the [[Solar System]] is 0.083 [[parts per billion|ppb]] (parts per billion).{{sfn|Lodders|2003|pp=1222–1223}}{{efn|Abundances in the source are listed relative to silicon rather than in per-particle notation. The sum of all elements per 10<sup>6</sup> parts of silicon is 2.6682{{e|10}} parts; lead comprises 3.258 parts.}} This figure is about two thirds of that of [[platinum]], but two and a half times more than mercury, and nearly five times more than gold.{{sfn|Lodders|2003|pp=1222–1223}} The lanthanides are not usually found in space, and are much more abundant in the [[Abundance of elements in Earth's crust|Earth's crust]].{{sfn|Lodders|2003|pp=1222–1223}}<ref name="CRC abundance">A{{lc:BUNDANCE OF ELEMENTS IN THE EARTH’S CRUST AND IN THE SEA}}, ''CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics,'' 97th edition (2016–2017), p. 14-17</ref>

====In the Earth's crust====
[[File:Elemental abundances.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|Neodymium is a fairly common element in the [[Earth's crust]] for being a rare-earth metal. Most rare-earth metals are less abundant.|alt=A line chart generally declining towards its right]]
Neodymium is classified as a [[Goldschmidt classification#Lithophile elements|lithophile]] under the [[Goldschmidt classification]], meaning that it is generally found combined with oxygen. Although it belongs to the rare-earth metals, neodymium is not rare at all. Its [[Abundance of elements in Earth's crust|abundance in the Earth's crust]] is about 41&nbsp;mg/kg.<ref name="CRC abundance"/> It is similar in abundance to [[lanthanum]].