Yttrium (Y): Rare Earth Element Super-Metal
- Sylvia Rose
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Yttrium (Y), a silvery transition metal, is a member of the rare earth elements (REEs). It's a favored component in technologies, from vibrant television screens to the heat shields of spacecraft.
Yttrium is important because it can form compounds with many other elements, creating advanced materials needed for modern technology. Yttrium is vital in the manufacture of superalloys used in jet engines.
Cosmic Origins
Yttrium is heavier than iron. It's created in the hearts of dying stars through nuclear fusion reactions. Primarily, the s-process (slow neutron-capture process) during late stages of stellar evolution creates yttrium.
In the s-process, atomic nuclei slowly absorb neutrons. This is followed by beta decay, ultimately building heavier elements like yttrium.
When stars reach their final stages, they expel the elements into space through stellar winds or supernova explosions, seeding the universe. Over time matter contributes to the formation of planets including Earth.
Yttrium is usually extracted from rare earth minerals like xenotime and monazite. These minerals contain a range of rare earth elements and the extraction process is complex.
Extraction involves mining the ore, Chemical methods are applied to isolate yttrium.
Process often includes grinding the ore into fine powder, using various acids or solvents to extract the metal. It's then refined to pure yttrium.
Discovery & Naming
Discovery of yttrium is in 1794 when chemist Johan Gadolin isolates a new oxide. It comes from a mineral found in a quarry near the town of Ytterby, Sweden.
The mineral is later named gadolinite in his honor. Anders Gustav Ekeberg, in 1797, confirms this oxide contains a previously unknown element, which he names yttrium, after the town of Ytterby.
Ytterby is abundant in REE discoveries. Four elements (yttrium, ytterbium, terbium, and erbium) are named after it.
Scientific Properties & Characteristics
Atomic Number: 39
Atomic Weight: 88.90585 u
Melting Point: 1526°C (2779°F)
Boiling Point: 3341°C (6046°F)
Density: 4.47 g/cm³
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal close-packed
Reactivity: Yttrium is a relatively reactive metal, readily reacting with oxygen to form yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃). It also reacts with water and acids.
Isotopes: Yttrium-89 is the only naturally occurring and stable isotope. Numerous radioactive isotopes, ranging from yttrium-76 to yttrium-88 and yttrium-90 to yttrium-107, have been artificially produced. These radioactive isotopes have varying half-lives and are used in medical and industrial applications.
Electron Configuration: [Kr] 4d¹
LED Technology: Yttrium garnets are important in creating high-efficiency light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for energy-efficient lighting.
Yttrium’s thermal and electrical conductivity, stability, and resistance to oxidation make it ideal for high-temperature applications. Yttrium's inclusion in Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) materials increases their magnetic properties, widely used in microwave devices.
Microwave devices include radars, attenuators, filters, circulators, isolators, phase shifters, power limiters, switches, and microwave integrated circuits.
Uses on Earth and in Space
Yttrium-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ): This is yttrium's most common use. YSZ is created by adding yttrium oxide to zirconia (zirconium dioxide), which stabilizes the zirconia crystal structure at raised temperatures.
The ceramic material can withstand high heat. It's suitable for thermal protection in spacecraft. YSZ is used in thermal barrier coatings of spacecraft, which endure temperatures over 1500°C in re-entry.
YSZ is also used in
High-Temperature Ceramics: Applications include fuel cell components, oxygen sensors and furnace linings.
Dental Implants: Its biocompatibility and strength make it a good material for dental implants.
Lasers: Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), doped with neodymium (Nd:YAG) or erbium (Er:YAG), is used as a gain medium in solid-state lasers. These lasers are used in
Medicine: Surgical procedures and cosmetic treatments.
Industry: Cutting, welding, and marking materials.
Superconductors: Yttrium is used in high heat superconductors like YBCO (Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide). These function in MRI machines and quantum computers. They conduct electricity without resistance at high temperatures.
Red Phosphors
Television Screens & Displays: Providing the red component in cathode ray tube (CRT) and other types of displays, although their use is diminishing with the rise of LED and OLED technologies.
LED Lighting: Certain yttrium compounds enhance the color rendering index of LED lamps.
Medical
Radioactive yttrium-90 is used in
Radioimmunotherapy: Treating certain types of cancer.
Liver Cancer Treatment: Yttrium-90 microspheres are used in selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) to send radiation directly to liver tumors.
Market Value & Supply
The price of yttrium oxide fluctuates depending on market conditions and purity levels. Price ranges from $20 to $50 / kg. The demand for yttrium is driven by its use in various high-tech applications.
For instance, demand for yttrium in hybrid car batteries has surged. Sustainable mining practices for rare earth elements are important, as they become increasingly popular in green technologies.
Countries with the Most Yttrium Reserves
Yttrium is fairly abundant in the Earth's crust. Economically viable deposits are concentrated in a few countries including China, Vietnam,
Australia, Brazil, Russia and India.
Facts about Yttrium
Yttrium is never found as a free element in nature. It always occurs in combination with other elements, primarily in minerals like monazite and xenotime.
Isotopes: The most stable isotope of yttrium is Yttrium-89, accounting for almost all naturally occurring yttrium. Other isotopes, like Yttrium-90, are artificially produced and radioactive.
Medical: especially suited for bone repair and dental applications, due to compatibility with biological tissues.
Yttrium's "rare earth" designation isn't because of its scarcity but rather the difficulty and cost associated with separating it from other similar elements.
Nuclear: Yttrium is used in some nuclear reactors for its neutron-absorbing capabilities, improving reactor safety.
Industrial Uses: Apart from high-tech applications, yttrium is utilized in manufacturing metal alloys, welding, and even in the production of glass and ceramics.
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