Q. Illustrate Uses of f-block element?
Lanthanides and many of their complexes have received wide industrial applications. For example, europium derivatives are used as phosphors in TV screen; samarium-cobalt alloys are used for making magnets, Nd2O3 and Pr2O3 are used for making welder's goggles, yttrium-aluminium garnets (YAG are used both in electronic equipment and as synthetic gems. Several lrtixed oxides are used as catalysts in cracking of petroleum. Cerium in the +4 oxidation state is used as an oxidising agent in quantitative analysis. Thorium nitrate has been used for more than a century in gas mantles. Till 1940, the only industrial application of uranium was as a colouring material in the manufacture of yellow glass. At present, the principal use of uranium and thorium is as a nuclear fuel.