Second most abundant element in alloy misch metal is:
Fe
Ce
AI
S
Fe
The correct option is Fe.
Misch metal (from German: Mischmetall, meaning "mixed metal") is a well-known alloy of rare-earth elements. Its typical composition consists of:
- Lanthanide metals: Approximately 95%, which primarily includes Cerium (Ce) at about 50%, Lanthanum (La) at about 25%, Neodymium (Nd) at about 15%, and smaller amounts of other lanthanide metals.
- Iron (Fe): Approximately 5%.
- Traces of other elements: Up to 1% of impurities or minor components such as Aluminium (Al), Calcium (Ca), Sulfur (S), Carbon (C), and Silicon (Si).
Analyzing the options based on abundance in the alloy:
1. Cerium (Ce) is the most abundant individual element in misch metal, making up around 50% of the alloy.
2. Iron (Fe) is the second most abundant element, present at approximately 5%.
3. Elements like Aluminium (Al) and Sulfur (S) are present only in trace amounts (less than 1%).
Therefore, Iron (Fe) is the second most abundant element in misch metal.