Yttrium is obtained from monozite sand,

combine it with oxygen and it's high in demand

Yttrium is a metal and it's superconductive

But when in little pieces it can be destructive

 

 

In 1788, Bengt Beinbold Geijer found a new mineral called gadolinite near Ytterby, a Swedish village and suggested that it contained tungsten. Eleven years later, Johan Gadolin studied gadolinite, and concluded that it contained 44.5% of many compounds and 55.5% new oxide called yttria or yttrium oxide(Y2O3). But back then, no one had the knowledge or the equipment to isolate it from the rest of the compounds. In 1828, however, Friedrich Wohler obtained cruel sample of yttrium by reducing the chloride with potassium. YCl3 + K -> 2KCl + Y(yttrium chloride + potassium-> potassium chloride + yttrium)

Properties

 
electrons 39
protons 39
neutrons 50
group 3
period 5
valence electrons 3
symbol Y
atomic number 39
atomic mass 88.90585
classification metal
color silvery-white

Yttrium by itself doesn’t have many uses, its compounds do. When combined with oxygen, it makes yttrium oxide(Y203) or yttria. Yttrium oxide is considered the most important and widely used yttrium compound. It is most known for its ability to form the basis of the phosphors used in color T.V to produce the color red. Yttrium oxide is used to produce two kinds of crystals called garnets. One type acts as an effective microwave filter in radar and the other acts as an imitation diamond. It is also used in manufacturing certain chemicals, glasses, and ceramics. Yttrium aluminum garnets(compound of yttrium, aluminum, and oxygen/a.k.a. YAG) are used to intensify light energy and YAG lasers are used to cut and drill metals.tiny amounts of yttrium(.1-.2%) are used to increase the strength of aluminum and magnesium alloys.

Yttrium isotopes are produced from the nuclear fission of uranium occurring in nuclear explosions and reactors. Yttrium has only one stable, naturally occurring isotope, Y-89. All of the elements in group 3 have few stable isotopes because they all have an odd number of protons. (TABLE)

Yttrium can be found in most rare-earth minerals is mostly obtained from monazite sand, a reddish-brown mineral that contains many rare-earth metals, which is found in small amounts in the earth’s crust, and even in some uranium ores, but it is never found in nature as a single element. High amounts of yttrium is found in rocks brought back from the surface of the moon, and it can also be found in soil and sea water. It is the 28th most abundant element which is 400 times more common than silver. Yttrium, mostly in the liver, kidney, spleen, lungs, and bones of humans, can also be found in most organisms. On average, there is about .5 milligrams of yttrium found in the entire human body. Yttrium can also be found in edible plants, mostly in cabbage, and seeds of woody plants in small amounts.
Superconductivity was first discovered by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911, who was originally studying the resistance of solid mercury at low temperatures using liquid helium as a cooling substance. He noticed that when it reached the temperature of 4.2 K,

 

To learn more about oxygen, click here.

 

Glossary
Isotope

isotopes are different types of atoms of the same element. Each isotope have the same number of protons and electrons, but different number of neutrons.
Phosphor

a substance that gives off light when struck by light of certain wavelengths.
Valence electron

valence electrons are electrons on the outermost shell and can be transferred or shared with other atoms.

Alloy a mixture of metals
Garnet a garnet is a deep red imitation diamond
Superconductivity

the ability to conduct electrical current at an extremely low temperature without resistance.
Oxide compound containing oxygen

 

Bibliography

Canfield, Paul. World Book (Superconductivity). Vol. So-Sz. New York: Chicago, IL, 2008.

Craig, Taylor R. World Book (Yttrium). Vol. WXYZ. Chicago,IL: World Book Inc., 2008.

Heiserman, David. Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds. New York: TAB Books, 1992.

Stwertka, Albert. A Guide to the Elements (Yttrium). New York: Oxford University Prses, 1996.

"Superconductivity." Wikipedia. 9 Feb. 2009. 9 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconductivity>.

"Yttrium." Wikipedia. 8 Feb. 2009. 10 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yttrium>.

"Yttrium(III) oxide." Wikipedia. 30 Jan. 2009. 9 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yttria>.


Return to Top of Page