Gadolinium is a rare earth metal that was discovered in 1880 by Jean Charles Galissard de Marginac who identified spectroscopic lines in an oxide mixture from the mineral samarskite. Pure Gadolinium was fist prepared by Felix Trombe in 1935 who discovered its ferromagnetic properties. Gadolinium is used in alloys of iron and chromium due to its high resistance and is used to in microwave applications. Due to its magnetic properties it is also used in MRI applications. It is a solid metal at room temperature with a melting point of 1312°c and a boiling point of 3273°c.