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Encyclopedia of Geochemistry pp 1–3Cite as

Samarium

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Properties

Element Data

Atomic symbol: Sm

Atomic number: 62

Atomic weight: 150.363(8)

Isotopes and abundances:

Sm 3.08(1)

Sm 15.02(5)%

Sm 11.25(3)%

Sm 13.83(4)%

Sm 7.35(2)%

Sm 26.74(3)%

Sm 22.73(5)%

1 atm melting point: 1345 K

1 atm boiling point: 2067 K

Common valences: 3+

Ionic radii: 108 pm (eightfold coordination)

Pauling electronegativity: 1.17

First ionization potential: 5.6437 eV

Chondritic (CI) abundance: 0.148 ppm

Silicate Earth abundance: 0.406 ppm

Crustal abundance: 3.9 ppm

Seawater abundance: 0.1–20 pmol/kg

Core abundance: ~0

History and Use

Samarium was first discovered by Swiss chemist Marc Delafontaine in 1878 who named it “decipium,” later proven to be a mixture of samarium and other rare earths. French chemist Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran isolated samarium in 1879. It was purified from the mineral samarskite named for Colonel Vasili von Samarsky, a Russian mine official...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, SC, USA

    Michael Bizimis & Howie Scher

Authors
  1. Michael Bizimis
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  2. Howie Scher
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Michael Bizimis or Howie Scher .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Cornell University Department of Earth, Ithaca, New York, USA

    William M. White

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Bizimis, M., Scher, H. (2016). Samarium. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_136-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_136-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39193-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Samarium
    Published:
    23 May 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_136-2

  2. Original

    Samarium
    Published:
    06 July 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_136-1

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