MISCH METAL

alloy consisting of about 50 percent cerium, 25 percent lanthanum, 15 percent neodymium, and 10 percent other rare-earth metals and iron. Misch metal has been produced on a relatively large scale since the early 1900s as the primary commercial form of mixed rare-earth metals. Misch metal alloyed with iron is the flint (spark-producing agent) in cigarette lighters and similar devices. Misch metal is also used as a deoxidizer in various alloys and to remove oxygen in vacuum tubes. As an alloying agent in magnesium, it contributes to high strength and creep resistance.