稀土,英文写作 Rare Earth,它是17种化学元素的统称。1794年芬兰大学加多林教授从一种黑石头里面分离出一种新“土”(氧化物),并把它称为钇土,这便是人们发现的第一个稀土元素。后来大约在1803年,德国人和瑞典人分别从一种重矿石(我们称铈硅矿)中,得到了另一种新“土”,并把它叫铈土。到1907年,人们已从天然矿物中发现了除钜(它是一种放射性元素)之外的16个稀土元素。1972年,在天然铀矿中 Rare earth, English writing Rare Earth, it is the collective name of 17 chemical elements. In 1794, Professor Jiadolin from the University of Finland separated a new “soil” (oxide) from a black stone and called it “aluminum oxide.” This was the first rare earth element discovered. Later in about 1803, the Germans and the Swedes obtained another new “earth” from a heavy ore (we call it a silicon mine) and called it Bauxite. By 1907, 16 rare earth elements other than lanthanum, a radioactive element, had been discovered from natural minerals. In 1972, in natural uranium ore