Rare earth nitrate is an inorganic mixture of two or more nitrates from the light rare earth elements lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium, in the form of white to light pink crystalline particles or powders. It is highly hygroscopic and deliquescent, soluble in water, and soluble in ethanol.
In agriculture, rare earth nitrate can be used as a micro-fertilizer and plant growth regulator, which can increase the chlorophyll content of plants, enhance photosynthesis, promote root development, and increase the absorption of nutrients by roots. In addition, it can also promote seed germination, improve seed germination rate, and promote seedling growth. Rare earths nitrate can also make certain crops more resistant to disease, cold and drought. Studies have also shown that the use of appropriate concentrations of rare earth nitrate can promote the uptake, transformation and utilization of nutrients by plants. For example, after corn and soybean are dressed with rare earth nitrate, the emergence and jointing time are advanced, the plant height increases, the plant maturity is early, and the grain is full, and the yield increases. Spraying of rare earth nitrate can also increase the vitamin C content, total sugar content and sugar-acid ratio of apple and citrus fruits, promote fruit coloration and early ripening, and can inhibit the respiration intensity and reduce the decay rate during storage. Therefore, the application of trace amounts of rare earth nitrate to field crops can increase their yield by 5~10%.
Rare earth nitrate is also used in other fields, such as as as electrolytic mixing of rare earth metals, rare earth alloys and raw materials for the extraction of single rare earth elements, and can also be used as a raw material for petrochemical catalysts, cocatalysts and rare earth polishing powders.