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Lutetium

Lutetium, the last of the Lanthanides, stems from "Lutetia," the Latin name for Paris. Lutetium is a hard, dense and rare Lanthanide metal. One would never find this element free in nature, as it is always associated, in small amounts, with other rare earth metals.

Except for research purposes, lutetium has limited applications. The pure metal is difficult to prepare, and serves primarily as a catalyst in various chemical reactions, such as hydrogenation and polymerization.