Two occur in nature: stable lanthanum-139 (99.9119 percent) and very long-lived radioactive lanthanum-138 (0.0888 percent). A total of 38 of lanthanum (excluding nuclear isomers) have been characterized, ranging in mass from 117 to 155 and in half-life from 23.5 milliseconds (lanthanum-117) to 1.02 × 1011 years (lanthanum-138). The lanthanum-140 has been detected as a product in snow after nuclear test explosions.Lanthanum is concentrated commercially by crystallization of ammonium lanthanum nitrate. Ion-exchange and solvent extraction methods are used when high purity is desired. The metal is prepared by of fused anhydrous halides or by metallothermic reduction of its halides by or (e.g., reduction of the fluoride with ).Lanthanum exists in three allotropic (structural) forms. The α-phase is double close-packed hexagonal with a = 3.7740 Å and c = 12.171 Å at room temperature. The β-phase is face-centered cubic with a = 5.303 Å at 325 °C (617 °F). The γ-phase is body-centered cubic with a = 4.26 Å at 887 °C (1,629 °F).Highly purified lanthanum oxide is an ingredient in the manufacture of low-dispersion, high-refraction for components. Lanthanum is often used as LaNi5-based -storage and –metal hydride rechargeable in hybrid automobiles. Lanthanum is added to ferrous alloys (to scavenge , , and other impurities) and to nonferrous alloys such as superalloys, alloys, and alloys. Lanthanum compounds are used as hosts for in and detectors and in cracking , one of its major uses. (typically 50 percent cerium, 25 percent lanthanum, 18 percent , 5 percent , and 2 percent other rare earths) is primarily used for lighter flints and alloying additions. When combined with and , lanthanum forms cubic intermetallic compounds with a general La(Fe1−xSix)13 that exhibit the giant magnetocaloric effect. When those compounds are hydrogenated to about 1.2–1.5 hydrogen per formula unit, they have magnetic ordering temperatures near room temperature and, therefore, are useful as magnetic refrigeration materials for near-room-temperature applications., Lanthanum is a chemical element; it has symbol La and atomic number 57. It is a soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes slowly when exposed to air. It is the eponym of the lanthanide series, a group of 15 similar elements between lanthanum and lutetium in the periodic table, of which lanthanum is the first and the prototype., lanthanum (La), chemical element, a rare-earth metal of Group 3 of the periodic table, that is the prototype of the lanthanide series of elements. Lanthanum is a ductile and malleable silvery white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife..