Yttrium
Last updated
Last updated
Once upon a time in Ytterby, Norway: It was here in 1794 that Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin succeeded in isolating a previously unknown compound, which he named Ytterite. In 1843, Swedish chemist Mosander demonstrated that Ytterite contained at least three new elements: Erbium, Terbium, and Yttrium.
The strongly phosphorescent, soft, silvery-white metal is quite stable in compact form when exposed to air, but as a powder, it reacts by spontaneous ignition. Like Scandium, Yttrium most closely resembles Aluminum chemically.
Schmelzpunkt
1526 °C
Siedepunkt
3338°C
Spezifisches Gewicht
4,472g/cm³
Massenanteil/Erdhülle
26 ppm
Farbe
weiß
Jahresproduktion
ca. 100t
Hauptproduzenten
China, USA, Brasilien
Verwendung
LED-Technik, Reaktortechnik, Legierungen, Heizdrähte für Massenspektrometer, Leuchtstofflampen
Yttrium is a true all-rounder in terms of its applications: In reactor technology, it is used as cladding material for nuclear fuel rods; in television technology, it is required to produce red fluorescence. Yttrium is also said to have a bright future as a phosphor in LEDs. In the ceramics industry, it is needed for high-performance materials. Other applications include energy-saving lamps, plasma screens, lambda sensors, spark plugs, reactor tubes, heating wires, laser crystals, microwave filters, and electrolytes in fuel cells.
The annual world production is given as 100 tons. The economic importance is expected to rise significantly in the foreseeable future: Yttrium-containing materials have the major advantage of becoming superconducting at temperatures as low as -180°C.
In our Tech Metals Tuesday series, we present various metals in video format.
