Decipium Explained

Decipium was the proposed name for a new chemical element isolated by Marc Delafontaine from the mineral samarskite. He published his discovery in 1878 and later published a follow-up paper in 1881.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Decipium was considered to be in the cerium group of rare earths.^[4]

In 1880, spectral analysis proved that decipium had a high samarium content. It is now believed that Delafontaine's decipium sample was a mixture of samarium with traces of other rare earth elements.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Sur le décepium, métal nouveau de la samarskite . Marc . Delafontaine . Journal de pharmacie et de chimie . 28 . 540 . 1878 .
2. Sur le décipium et le samarium . Marc. Delafontaine. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences. 93. 63. 1881.
3. Sur le décepium, métal nouveau de la samarskite. Marc. Delafontaine. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences. 87. 632. 1878.
4. [Harmsworth's Universal Encyclopaedia]
5. Book: Marco Fontani. Marco Fontani. Mariagrazia Costa. Mary Virginia Orna. The Lost Elements: The Periodic Table's Shadow Side. 13 October 2014. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-938334-4. 122–123.