7440-52-0
| Name | ERBIUM |
| CAS | 7440-52-0 |
| EINECS(EC#) | 231-160-1 |
| Molecular Formula | Er |
| MDL Number | MFCD00010987 |
| Molecular Weight | 167.26 |
| MOL File | 7440-52-0.mol |
Chemical Properties
| Definition | Element with atomic number 68, aw 167.26, valence of 3; one of the rare-earth elements of the yttrium subgroup. |
| Appearance | grey powder |
| Melting point | 1529 °C (lit.) |
| Boiling point | 2868 °C (lit.) |
| density | 9.062 g/mL at 25 °C(lit.) |
| refractive index | 1.47 (1300 nm) |
| solubility | insoluble in H2O; soluble in acid solutions |
| form | powder |
| color | Silver-gray |
| Specific Gravity | 9.006 |
| Resistivity | 86 μΩ-cm, 20°C |
| Water Solubility | Soluble in acids. Insoluble in water. |
| Sensitive | Moisture Sensitive |
| Merck | 13,3675 |
| Exposure limits | ACGIH: TWA 2 ppm; STEL 4 ppm OSHA: TWA 2 ppm(5 mg/m3) NIOSH: IDLH 25 ppm; TWA 2 ppm(5 mg/m3); STEL 4 ppm(10 mg/m3) |
| History | Erbium, one of the so-called rare-earth elements of the lanthanide series, is found in the minerals mentioned under dysprosium above. In 1842 Mosander separated “yttria,” found in the mineral gadolinite, into three fractions which he called yttria, erbia, and terbia. The names erbia and terbia became confused in this early period. After 1860, Mosander’s terbia was known as erbia, and after 1877, the earlier known erbia became terbia. The erbia of this period was later shown to consist of five oxides, now known as erbia, scandia, holmia, thulia and ytterbia. By 1905 Urbain and James independently succeeded in isolating fairly pure Er2O3. Klemm and Bommer first produced reasonably pure erbium metal in 1934 by reducing the anhydrous chloride with potassium vapor. The pure metal is soft and malleable and has a bright, silvery, metallic luster. As with other rare-earth metals, its properties depend to a certain extent on the impurities present. The metal is fairly stable in air and does not oxidize as rapidly as some of the other rare-earth metals. Naturally occurring erbium is a mixture of six isotopes, all of which are stable. Twenty-seven radioactive isotopes of erbium are also recognized. Recent production techniques, using ion-exchange reactions, have resulted in much lower prices of the rare-earth metals and their compounds in recent years. The cost of 99.9% erbium metal is about $21/g. Erbium is finding nuclear and metallurgical uses. Added to vanadium, for example, erbium lowers the hardness and improves workability. Most of the rare-earth oxides have sharp absorption bands in the visible, ultraviolet, and near infrared. This property, associated with the electronic structure, gives beautiful pastel colors to many of the rare-earth salts. Erbium oxide gives a pink color and has been used as a colorant in glasses and porcelain enamel glazes. |
| CAS DataBase Reference | 7440-52-0(CAS DataBase Reference) |
| EPA Substance Registry System | Erbium (7440-52-0) |