Waarom het voor materialen van belang is
A single MRI machine needs a superconducting magnet cooled by helium, and the contrast agent injected into the patient is a rare earth. Neither has an obvious alternative.
Waaruit het bestaat
Alle materialen →| Materiaal | Wat het hier doet | Belang |
|---|---|---|
| Gadolinium kritiek | MRI contrast agent | Definiëren |
| Helium | Cooling superconducting MRI magnets | Definiëren |
| Niobium kritiek | Superconducting MRI wire | Definiëren |
| Titanium kritiek | Implants and instruments | Definiëren |
| Barite kritiek | X-ray contrast | Belangrijk |
| Cobalt kritiek | Radiotherapy sources and implant alloys | Belangrijk |
| Lutetium kritiek | PET scanner crystals and cancer therapy | Belangrijk |
| Platinum kritiek | Chemotherapy drugs and electrodes | Belangrijk |
| Holmium kritiek | Surgical lasers | Heden |
| Silver kritiek | Antimicrobial dressings | Heden |
Gadolinium
A rare earth that absorbs neutrons better than almost anything, and that makes MRI scans easier to read.
Helium
The only element cold enough to keep an MRI magnet superconducting, and the only one light enough to escape Earth's…
Niobium
A metal that makes steel much stronger when added in tiny amounts — a few hundred grams per tonne changes the whole…
Titanium
A metal as strong as steel at about half the weight, which does not corrode in seawater or in the human body.
Barite
A very heavy, soft mineral used mostly to weigh down drilling mud so an oil well does not blow out.
Cobalt
A hard, bluish metal that keeps a battery's cathode stable so it does not overheat, and that holds its strength when…