Optical Fluorides

Nanoshel’s Lanthanum Trifluoride (atomic symbol: La, atomic number: 57) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 138.90547. Lanthanum Bohr Model The number of electrons in each of lanthanum’s shells is 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. In its elemental form, lanthanum has a silvery white appearance. Elemental Lanthanum 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 Trifluoride (LaF3) finds uses in fibre optics, electrodes, fluorescent lamps and radiation applications. It is also used as an ion-specific fluoride detecting electrode in solutions Lanthanum Trifluoride is not often used as an optical material. Lanthanum Trifluoride is usually doped with a nominal level of 0.3% mole. The usual application is as the active element in an ion-selective electrode for the detection and measurement of Fluoride ions in solution. Lanthanum trifluoride is a high-melting, ionic compound of lanthanum and fluorine.

Single crystal Lanthanum Trifluoride transmits light from the vacuum ultraviolet into the infrared, with its transmission reduced to about 20 per cent at 0.13 and 13 μ respectively for 0.5 mm thick samples. Its broad transmission, single crystal Lanthanum Trifluoride exhibits a high degree of chemical, thermal, and radiation stability number of physical properties are discussed, including thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, dielectric constant, and the absorption coefficient in the i.e. cut-off region.

LaF3 crystals are grown as nominal 10mm diameter rods. This is convenient for the ion-selective application, as it is very difficult to grow and anneal with larger diameter than this without cracking due to differing coefficients of expansion in the crystal orientations. The crystal can be grown pure but is generally doped with a nominal 0.3% Europium which gives it a yellow color and introduces more dislocations and vacancies in the crystal lattice which aids the ionic conduction. An instance of a deliberately imperfect crystal! The F-1 ions are relatively good conductors as they are much smaller than the La3+ ions and can move short distances between defect vacancies in the crystal lattice. Virtually all charge transfer is due to the F-1 ions. Lanthanum Trifluoride can be doped with Nd3+ and has specialist application as a scintillating material.

The mineral LaF3 the most remarkable represntive of rear earth trifluorides with the tysonite structure exhibits a very number of rear earth trifluoride of compostion LnF3 (Ln: La-Sm) crystallize in the tysonite structure type. Inorganic nanoparticles have drawn much attention, due to their unique catalytic, optical, semiconductive and magnetic properties. LaF3 nanoparticles in liquid paraffin and improve the anti-wear, load-carrying and friction-reducing capacities of the base stock with the assistance of the synergistic effect between TBP and LaF3 nanoparticles.