Lanthanum
Lanthanum is a silvery white metallic element belonging to group 3 of the periodic table and is one of the lanthanides.
- Lanthanum is a vital component and strategic resource used in the manufacture of conventional Jump Drives.
- Zuchai Crystals are a similar resource with similar importance.
- Lanthanum is a both a resource and a common component of the Ship Equipment: Jump Drive.
Please refer to the following AAB library data for further information:
- Starship
- Jump Drive
- Jump Drive Key Resources
- Jump Drive Lore
Description (Specifications)
It is found in some rare-earth minerals, usually in combination with cerium and other rare earth elements. Lanthanum is malleable, ductile, and soft enough to be cut with a knife. It is one of the most reactive of the rare-earth metals. The metal reacts directly with elemental carbon, nitrogen, boron, selenium, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and with halogens. It oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air. Cold water attacks lanthanum slowly, while hot water attacks it much more rapidly.
Applications
Uses of lanthanum:
- Carbon lighting applications, especially by the motion picture industry for studio lighting and projection.
- La2O3 improves the alkali resistance of glass, and is used in making special optical glasses, such as:
- Infrared absorbing glass.
- Camera and telescope lenses, because of the high refractive index and low dispersion of rare-earth glasses.
- Small amounts of lanthanum added to steel improves its malleability, resistance to impact and ductility.
- Small amounts of lanthanum added to iron helps to produce nodular cast iron.
- Small amounts of lanthanum added to molybdenum decreases the hardness of this metal and its sensitivity to temperature variations.
- Mischmetal, a pyrophoric alloy used e.g. in lighter flints, contains 25% to 45% lanthanum.
- The oxide and the boride are used in electronic vacuum tubes.
- Hydrogen sponge alloys can contain lanthanum. These alloys are capable of storing up to 400 times their own volume of hydrogen gas in a reversible adsorption process.
- Petroleum cracking catalysts.
- Gas lantern mantles.
- Glass and lapidary polishing compound.
- La-Ba age dating of rocks and ores.
- Lanthanum carbonate is used medically as a phosphate binder for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia.
- Lanthanum Nitrate is mainly applied in specialty glass, water treatment and catalyst.
- Vital to the construction of the inner coils of interstellar Jump Drive units.
Precautions
Lanthanum has a low to moderate level of toxicity, and should be handled with care. In animals, the injection of lanthanum solutions produces glycaemia, low blood pressure, degeneration of the spleen and hepatic alterations.
History & Background (Dossier)
Lanthanum is a vital component and strategic resource used in the manufacture of conventional Jump Drives.
Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)
This resource is primarily located in the following areas:
World Listing: 1105
The following systems and worlds are known sources of Lanthanum:
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References & Contributors (Sources)
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This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Lanthanum. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. The text of Wikipedia is available under the Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. |
- Marc Miller. The Kinunir (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 41.
- J. Andrew Keith. Far Traveller 1 (FASA, 1982), TBD.
- Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. The Traveller Adventure (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 143.
- Loren Wiseman. "Jumpspace." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 24 (1985): 34-38.
- Marc Miller. Referee's Manual (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), TBD.
- Rob Caswell, William W. Connors, Joe Fugate, Gary L. Thomas. Starship Operator's Manual (Digest Group Publications, 1988), TBD.
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science