Discovered by C. G. Mosander at Stockholm,
Sweden.
Remarks
Soft, silvery-white metal; rapidly tarnishes
in air and burns easily. Reacts with water to give hydrogen gas. Used in
optical glass and for flints. La2+ is used as a biological
tracer for calcium Ca2+.
Diagnostic tests:
There are no simple diagnostic tests to identify lanthanum.
X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is commonly employed to identify and
analyze members of the Rare-Earth group elements.
References
Emsley, J., 1991; THE ELEMENTS : Sec. Ed.,
Clarendon Press, Oxford, 251 p.
(* - Mineral Name Is Not IMA Approved)
(! - New Dana classification added or changed from Danas New Mineralogy)
(? - IMA Discredited Mineral Species Name)
There are 162 minerals with La in the Mineralogy Database.