Lanthanum carbonate, also known as La2(CO3)3, is a salt formed by lanthanum(III) cations and carbonate anions. Along with monazite, it is a lanthanum metal ore (bastnäsite). It is a raw material for FCC catalyst, glass, water treatment, and FOSRENOL medicine. Lanthanum-rich Rare Earth Carbonate has been widely used in FCC catalysts for cracking reactions, particularly in the production of high-octane gasoline from heavy crude oil.
Lanthanum Carbonate (Fosrenol, Shire Pharmaceuticals) was approved as a medication to absorb excess phosphatein cases of end-stage renal failure. Lanthanum Carbonate Hydrate is a starting material in the chemistry of lanthanum. It is used as a phosphate binder in the medical industry.
Properties
- Chemical formula: La2(CO3)3
- Molar mass: 457.838 g/mol
- Appearance: White powder, hygroscopic
- Density: 2.6–2.7 g/cm3
- Melting point: decomposes
- Solubility in water: negligible
- Solubility: soluble in acids
Chemistry
Lanthanum carbonate is a starting material in lanthanum chemistry, particularly in the formation of mixed oxides.
- for the production of lanthanum strontium manganite, primarily for use in solid oxide fuel cells;
- for the fabrication of high-temperature superconductors such as La2-xSrxCuO2.
Lanthanum carbonate is a phosphate-binding agent that is free of aluminum and calcium and is used to control phosphate levels in patients with renal insufficiency. Inadequate dietary phosphate control and non-adherence to phosphate-binder therapy are barriers to successful hyperphosphatemia management in chronic kidney disease.
Medical uses
Lanthanum carbonate is a phosphate binder that is used in medicine. It is used to treat hyperphosphatemia, most commonly in patients with chronic renal failure. It is taken with meals and binds to dietary phosphate, preventing its absorption by the intestine.
Lanthanum carbonate is a phosphate binder used in medicine. Shire Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company, sells it as a medication under the brand name Fosrenol. If the tablet is not chewed, it is possible to choke on it due to its large size (the 1000 mg tablet is 2.2 cm in diameter). It is used to treat hyperphosphatemia, most commonly in patients with chronic kidney disease. It is taken with meals and binds to dietary phosphate, preventing phosphate from being absorbed by the intestine. For cats with hyperphosphatemia it is available under the trade name Renalzin by Bayer Animal Health.
When lanthanum carbonate is used to treat hyperphosphatemia, however, its side effects, such as myalgia, muscular cramping, and peripheral edema, should be clinically monitored.
Lanthanum carbonate is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, with less than 1% absolute oral bioavailability. More than 99% of the absorbed fraction is bound to plasma proteins and is widely distributed in tissues, particularly the bones, liver, and gastrointestinal tract.
Additional applications
Lanthanum carbonate is a lanthanum source used in the solid-state production of lanthanum strontium manganite, which is primarily used in solid oxide fuel cell applications. It is also used to tint glass, treat water, and as a catalyst for hydrocarbon cracking.
