Ytterbium 70Yb173.04
Discovered in 1878 by J.C.G. de Marignac in Geneva, Switzerland.
[Named after Ytterby, Sweden]
French: ytterbium
German: Ytterbium
Italian: itterbio
Spanish: yterbio
Description: Ytterbium is a soft, silvery-white metal of the so-called rare earth group (more correctly termed the lanthanide). It is slowly oxidised by air and reacts with water. It has few uses but some is employed in stress gauges.
Further Materials properties
| Crystal structure: |
(cell dimensions/pm), space group,
α-Yb f.c.c. (a=548.62), Fm3m
β-Yb b. c.c. (a=444), Fm3m
T (α -> β) = 1 073K
|
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| X-ray diffractions mass absorption coefficients: |
CuKa 146(µ/r) / cm2g-1
MoKa 84.5 (µ/r) / cm2g-1 |
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| Neutron scattering length: |
1.243 b/10-12 cm |
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| Thermal neutron capture cross-section: |
34.8 sa / barns |
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| Density: |
6965 kg/m-3 [293 K] |
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| Melting point: |
823.85°C / 1097°K |
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| Boiling point: |
1192.85°C / 1466°K |
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| Molar volume: |
24.84 cm3 |
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| Thermal conductivity: |
34.9 [300 K] W m-1K-1 |
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| Coefficient of linear thermal expansion: |
25.0 x 10-6 (a axis); 6.1 x 10-6 (b axis); 6.8 x 10-6 (c axis) K-1 |
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| Electrical resistivity: |
29.0 x 10-8 [273 K] Ωm |
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| Mass magnetic susceptibility: |
+1.81 x 10-8(s) kg-1m3 |
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| Radi: |
Yb3+ 86; Yb2+ 113; atomic 194; covalent 170 |
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| Electronegativity: |
n.a. (Pauling); 1.06 (Allred); ≤3.5 eV (absolute) |
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| Effective nuclear charge: |
2.85 (Slater); 8.59 (Clementi); 11.90 (Froese-Fischer) |
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| Number of Isotopes (incl. nuclear isomers): |
29 |
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| Isotope mass range: |
154 -> 179 |
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Biological data
| Biological role: |
None, but acts to stimulate metabolism. |
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| Toxicity |
|
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| Toxic intake: |
n.a. |
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| Lethal intake: |
LD50 (chloride, oral, mouse) = 6700 mg kg-1 |
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| Hazards: |
Ytterbium is mildly toxic by ingestion and is a skin and eye irritant. It is also a suspected teratogen.. |
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| Level in humans |
n.a. but very low |
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| Daily dietary intake: |
n.a. |
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Total mass of element in average
[70 kg] person: |
n.a. |
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Geological data
| Minerals: | |
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| Mineral | Formula | Density | Hardness | Crystal apperance |
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| Euxenite* |
(Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6 |
5.0 |
5.5 - 6.5 |
orth., met. greasy black |
| Xenotime* |
YPO4 |
4.8 |
4 - 5 |
tet., vit./res. yellow-brown |
* These ores contain extractable amounts of ytterbium.
| Chief ores: |
euxenite, xenotime |
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| World production: |
c. 50 tonnes/year |
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| Main mining areas: |
USA, Canada. Euxenite is also found in Greenland and Brazil |
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| Reserves: |
c. 1 x 106. |
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| Specimen: |
available as chipes or ingots. Safe. Yb powder is a skin and eye irritant. Care! |
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| Abundances |
|
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| Sun: |
8 (relative to H = 1 x 1012) |
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| Earth's crust: |
3.3 ppm |
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| Seawater |
|
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| Atlantic surface: |
5 x 10-7 ppm |
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| Atlantic deep: |
7.5 x 10-7 ppm |
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| Pacific surface: |
3.7 x 10-7 ppm |
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| Pacifc deep: |
22 x 10-7 ppm |
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| Residence time: |
400 years |
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| Classification: |
recycled |
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| Oxidation state: |
III |
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Source: Emsley, J. (1998) The Elements (3rd Edition)
Other sizes and specifications on request
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