Neodymium oxide
Nd₂O₃The primary traded form and a feedstock for magnets and other neodymium compounds.
Nd60
Neodymium
The magnet metal — and the other half of NdPr.
Neodymium is the rare earth behind the strongest commercially available permanent magnets. Alloyed with iron and boron, it powers motors in electric vehicles and wind turbines and tiny actuators in hard drives and headphones — the single largest driver of rare-earth demand growth over the past two decades. It is usually produced and traded alongside praseodymium as NdPr oxide because the two elements occur together in ore and are difficult to separate economically past a certain purity.
Uses
- Neodymium–iron–boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets are used in motors, generators and other compact high-strength magnet systems.
- Neodymium-doped crystals, including Nd:YAG, are laser gain media.
- Neodymium is used in didymium glass for protective lenses and glass colouring, and in specialist catalysts.
Key Facts
- Atomic number
- 60
- Primary supply
- Co-product traded mainly with praseodymium as NdPr
- Key constraint
- Price closely tracks EV and wind magnet demand
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Isotope reference
Isotopes & Nuclear Properties
Natural neodymium contains seven isotopes. Nd-144 undergoes alpha decay and Nd-150 undergoes double-beta decay; the other five are listed as stable in NUBASE2020. Nd-145 is not one of the two radioactive natural isotopes.
| Isotope | Natural abundance | Half-life / status |
|---|---|---|
| ¹⁴²Nd | 27.152(40)% | Stable |
| ¹⁴³Nd | 12.174(26)% | Stable |
| ¹⁴⁴Nd | 23.798(19)% | 2.29(16) × 10¹⁵ years |
| ¹⁴⁵Nd | 8.293(12)% | Stable |
| ¹⁴⁶Nd | 17.189(32)% | Stable |
| ¹⁴⁸Nd | 5.756(21)% | Stable |
| ¹⁵⁰Nd | 5.638(28)% | 9.3(7) × 10¹⁸ years |
CIAAW — neodymium (natural abundances)NUBASE2020 evaluated nuclear properties (half-lives and status)
CIAAW amount-fraction uncertainties are shown in parentheses where reported. “Stable” means no radioactive half-life is assigned in this table.
Abundances are CIAAW amount fractions converted to percentages for normal terrestrial material; parentheses give uncertainty in the final digits. “Stable” means no decay is established in the cited evaluation, not that all decay modes are impossible. Natural abundance and nuclear stability do not establish chemical safety; enriched or activated material needs separate assessment.
Pricing & Market Trends
Market Context
$73/kgup trend
Neodymium oxide, 99.5% minimum, free on board; NdPr oxide averaged $69/kg • As of 2025 average
The USGS-reported average rose from $98/kg in 2021 to $134/kg in 2022, fell to $78/kg in 2023 and $56/kg in 2024 as supply expanded, then recovered to $73/kg in 2025.
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Rare Earths (February 2026)
Key Drivers
- EV and wind-turbine magnet demand
- New non-China separation capacity
- Close linkage to the NdPr oxide market
Common Neodymium Compounds
Neodymium-iron-boron
NdFeBThe dominant commercial magnet alloy used in EV motors, wind turbines, and hard drives.
Neodymium chloride
NdCl₃A soluble precursor used in magnet-alloy production and materials research.
Direct Answers
Neodymium questions, answered
What is neodymium used for?
Neodymium’s dominant use is in NdFeB permanent magnets, the strongest commercially available magnet type, found in EV motors, wind turbine generators, hard drives, and speaker and headphone actuators.
Where is neodymium mined?
China is the dominant global producer, while the United States produces neodymium as a co-product at the Mountain Pass mine in California. It is typically extracted and traded with praseodymium as NdPr oxide.
How much does neodymium cost?
The USGS reported a 2025 average of $73/kg for neodymium oxide at 99.5% minimum purity, free on board, down from a 2022 peak of $134/kg. This is historical context rather than a live quote.