Understanding surface structure and chemistry of single crystal lanthanum aluminate.

See more Aluminum products. Aluminum (or Aluminium) (atomic symbol: Al, atomic number: 13) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 3 element with an atomic weight of 26.9815386. It is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and the most abundant metallic element. Aluminum's name is derived from alumina, the mineral from which Sir Humphrey Davy attempted to refine it from in 1812. Aluminum was first predicted by Antoine Lavoisier 1787 and first isolated by Hans Christian Øersted in 1825. Aluminum is a silvery gray metal that possesses many desirable characteristics. It is light, nonmagnetic and non-sparking. It stands second among metals in the scale of malleability, and sixth in ductility. It is extensively used in many industrial applications where a strong, light, easily constructed material is needed. Although it has only 60% of the electrical conductivity of copper, it is used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but alloyed with small amounts of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, or other elements, it imparts a variety of useful properties.

See more Lanthanum products. Lanthanum (atomic symbol: La, atomic number: 57) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 138.90547. The number of electrons in each of lanthanum's shells is [2, 8, 18, 18, 9, 2] and its electron configuration is [Xe] 5d¹ 6s². The lanthanum atom has a radius of 187 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 240 pm. Lanthanum was first discovered by Carl Mosander in 1838. In its elemental form, lanthanum has a silvery white appearance. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal that oxidizes easily in air. Lanthanum is the first element in the rare earth or lanthanide series. It is the model for all the other trivalent rare earths and it is the second most abundant of the rare earths after cerium. Lanthanum is found in minerals such as monazite and bastnasite. The name lanthanum originates from the Greek word Lanthaneia, which means 'to lie hidden'.