Erbium is a chemical element with the symbol
Er and atomic number 68. Erbium is a metal from the group of rare earths. Like
most other lanthanides, it is silver gray in color, malleable and ductile at
room temperature. It oxidizes little in dry air.
The name erbium, comes from the place, Ytterby near Stockholm in Sweden, where
the ore was discovered in which several other rare earths have also been
identified. The chemical elements yttrium, terbium and ytterbium share the same
etymology.
Natural erbium consists of a mixture of 6 stable isotopes.
Erbium is naturally present in the form of a mixture of 6 stable isotopes:
162Er, 164Er, 166Er, 167Er, 168Er and 170Er. Erbium-166 is the most abundant
(33.503%). 29 radioisotopes were characterized, the most stable is 169Er with a
half-life of 9.4 days. The element also has 13 nuclear isomers, the most stable
being 167mEr with a half-life of 2.269 seconds11.
Natural abundance and production
Erbium is one of the most abundant rare earths. Its concentration in the earth's
crust is around 3.5 g / tonne9, which is almost double that of tin and makes it
the 44th element in order of abundance7.
The main mineral resources are located in China and the United States. Erbium
can be extracted from the same minerals as other rare earths, such as xenotime,
gadolinite, ilsenite, fergusonite, polycrase or blomstrandine, but the most used
are monazite and bastnäsite. Annual production is around 500 tonnes, mainly in
the form of oxide. Pure metal is obtained by heating erbium chloride with
calcium vapors under vacuum and is available in pieces, ingots or powder7. For a
purity of 99.9%, its price was around $ 21 per gram in 201510.
Uses
Nuclear medicine: isotopic synoviorthesis of the fingers in rheumatoid arthritis
(erbium 169).
Nuclear industry: due to its strong neutron absorption capacity.
Alloys: it reduces hardness and facilitates the machining of vanadium.
Colorants: for glass and glazes for porcelain. Erbium oxide gives a pink color.
Photographic filters: colored in pink, it enhances the quality of photos taken
in a cloudy atmosphere.
Medico-surgical lasers:
Surgery: the YAG laser doped with erbium competes with those doped with holmium.
Dentistry: the Erbium laser is the most versatile of dental lasers.
Optical telecommunications: optical amplifiers based on erbium-doped fibers have
become a standard element in long-distance optical telecommunications networks.
Photovoltaic solar panels: potential use following the discovery of a new
electronic effect
กก
rhenium germanium zirconium cadmium hafnium
barium lithium beryllium strontium calcium
Tantalum gadolinium samarium yttrium ytterbium
Lutetium praseodymium holmium erbium thulium dysprosium
terbium europium lanthanum cerium neodymium scandium
กก
กก
กก