Samarium
Samario (Sm, Z=62)
- Date
- 1879 · confidence high
- Place
- Paris, France
- Credited to
- Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
- People
- 👤 Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran1838–1912
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Lecoq detected it spectroscopically in samarskite and separated it from didymium.
The first element named after a person (indirectly, via the mineral).
What it led to
- Samarium-cobalt magnets for high temperatures
- Samarium-neodymium rock dating
- Palliative bone radiotherapy with Sm-153
Built on
- Spectroscopy
- Samarskite (mineral named after Samarsky)
Made possible
- SmCo magnet
- Sm-Nd dating