Yttrium

Yttrium

A piece of yttrium metal.

Yttrium is a chemical element with the symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and has historically been classified as a "rare-earth element." Yttrium is almost always found in combination with the lanthanides in rare-earth minerals, and it is never found in nature as a free element.

History

Johan Gadolin, who discovered yttrium.

Yttrium was discovered in 1794 by the Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin in a mineral sample from a quarry in Ytterby, Sweden. The element was named after the village of Ytterby, which has also lent its name to other elements such as terbium, erbium, and ytterbium. Gadolin's discovery was later confirmed by other chemists, and yttrium was isolated as a pure metal in 1828 by Friedrich Wöhler.

Occurrence

Xenotime, a mineral containing yttrium.

Yttrium is found in most rare-earth minerals, such as xenotime and monazite, and is often associated with uranium ores. It is also found in the Earth's crust at about 31 parts per million, making it more common than lead. Yttrium is extracted through a complex process of solvent extraction and ion exchange.

Properties

Yttrium is a transition metal with a silvery appearance. It is relatively stable in air due to the formation of an oxide film on its surface. Yttrium is a good conductor of electricity and heat, and it has a high melting point of 1526 °C. It is also paramagnetic and has a density of 4.472 g/cm³.

Applications

A YAG rod used in lasers.

Yttrium has several important applications in modern technology. It is used in the production of Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) lasers, which are widely used in medical and industrial applications. Yttrium is also used in the production of phosphors for color television tubes and LED lights. Additionally, yttrium is used in the production of superconductors and in various alloys to improve the strength of metals.

Compounds

Yttrium carbonate.

Yttrium forms various compounds, including yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃), which is used in ceramics and glass. Yttrium carbonate is another compound that is used in the preparation of other yttrium compounds. Yttrium compounds are often used as catalysts in chemical reactions.

Astronomy

Mira, a star with yttrium in its spectrum.

Yttrium has been detected in the spectra of stars, including the red giant star Mira. The presence of yttrium in stars provides valuable information about the processes of nucleosynthesis and the chemical evolution of the universe.

Related pages

• Lanthanide
• Rare-earth element
• Transition metal
• Ytterby