INTRODUCTION
Erbium is a silvery metallic element with an atomic number of 68. It is one of the rare earth elements in the lanthanide series. It occurs mostly in the same minerals and in the same areas as dysprosium.
Erbium was named for the town of Ytterby in Sweden, the location of a quarry that yielded several rare earth elements.
BASIC INFORMATIONS
- Atomic Number
- 68
- Atomic Mass
- 167.259
- Atomic radius
- 0.157
- Ionization energy
- 1st,2nd,3rd (3908)
- Electronic config
- 2,8,18,30,8,2
- Principal Valency
- +2
- Density g/cm³
- 9.16
- Melting point °C
- 1529
- Boiling point °C
- 2868
- Type of Element
- Metal
- Electronegativity
- N/A
- Element Category
- Lanthanide series
- Appearance
- Silvery solid
- Block
- f-block
- Period
- 8
- Group
- 15
- No of Isotopes
- 36
- Occurrence
- Combine form
- Abundance in ppm
- 3.5
- Year of Discovery
- 1843
EXTRACTION
It is obtain by ion exchange process
OXIDATION STATES
+3,+2,+1 (Weakly basic)
MAJOR SOURCE
Xenotime, Euxenite, Fergusonite, Gadolinite
EXAMPLES OF COMPOUND PRESENT
Erbium oxide
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
* Erbium is used in experimental optical amplifiers that amplify light signals sent along fiber-optic cables.
* Erbium oxide is a rose-red compound slowly soluble in many mineral acids, forming a series of rose-colored salts, solutions of which have a sweet, astringent taste.
taste.
* Erbium is also applicable for alloy, and pigment.