The trade in rare earth metals has two basic tiers. The cheaper variety is typically referred to as “reduced” and tends to come in brownie-sized cakes. At the normal 99.9% it is nominally less pure than the dendritic or “distilled” type that is refined to 99.95% or 99.99% purity (3N5 or 4N to use industry lingo).

In any case, samarium is a metal with many uses none of which are very newsworthy. It plays minor roles in electronics, biotech and the nuclear industry but by far its biggest utility comes in the service of making industrial magnets. While neodymium has stolen the spotlight for this task, samarium is a better alternative in heavy duty applications because it holds up better in the environment, can operate at higher temps and are cheaper to produce.

The pure metal is weakly stable in air. Large slabs tend to oxidize slower in open air than pieces with a lot of surface area. The surface oxidation does provide some protection for the bulk of the metal underneath and in this aspect is similar to lead. Unlike lead, however, the oxidation layer is unfortunately more of an unattractive ashen type. Where visual appeal and purity are a must it is necessary to encapsulate in glass under an inert atmosphere.

CAS 7440-19-9

Note additional options for this element on the Ampules section