H' at. wt. (natural) 1.007967
at. wt. (H') 1.007822
at. no. 1
m.p. - 259.140C
b.p. - 252.870C
density 0.08988 gm./l
density (liquid) 70.8 gm/i. (-2530C)
density (solid) 7016 gm/i. (-2620C)
valence 1.
Electronic configuration
| K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| s |
s p |
s p d |
s p d f |
s p d f |
s p d f |
s p d f |
| 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
YTTERBWM (Ytterby, village in Sweden), Yb; at. wt.
173.04; at. no.70; m.p. 824f 50C; b.p. 11930C; sp. gr.
- (a) 6.972, (0)6.54; valence 2, 3. Marignac in 1878 discovered
a new component, which he called ytterbia, in the earth then
known as erbia. In 1907, Urbain separated ytterbia into two
components, which he called neoytterbia and lutecia. The
elements in these earths are now known as ytterbium and
lutetium, respectively. These elements are identical with
aldebaranium and cassiopeium discovered independently and
at about the same time by von Welsbach. Ytterbium occurs
along with other rare earths in a number of rare minerals.
It is commercially recovered principally from monazite sand,
which contains about 0.03 %. Ion-exchange and solvent
extractiofl techniques developed in recent years have greatly
simplified the separation of the rare earths from one another.
The element was first prepared by Klemm and Bonner in
1937 by reducing ytterbium trichloride with potassium.
Their metal was mixed, however, with KCl. Daane, Denni-
son, and Spedding prepared a much purer form in 1953
from which the chemical and physical properties of the
element could be determined. Ytterbium has a bright silvery
luster, is soft, malleable, and quite ductile. Wliile the elemetit
is fairly stable, it should be kept in closed containers td
protect it from air and moisture. Ytterbium is readily
attacked and dissolved by dilute and concentrated mineral
acids and reacts slowly with water. Ytterbium normally has
two allotropic forms with a transformation point at 7980C.
The alpha form is a room-temperature, face-centered, cubic
modification, while the high-temperature beta form is a
body-centered cubic form. Another body-centered cubic
phase has recently been found to be stable at high pressures
at room temperatures. The alpha form ordinarily has
metallic-type conductivity, but becomes a semiconductor
when the pressure is increased above 16,000 atm. The
electrical resistance increases tenfold as the pressure is in-
creased to 39,000 atm and drops to about 80% of its stan-
dard temperature-pressure resistivity at a pressure of
40,000 atm. Natural ytterbium is a mixture of seven stable
isotopes. Nine other unstable isotopes are known. Ytter-
bium metal has possible use in improving the grain refine-
ment, strength, and other mechanical properties of stainless
steel. One isotope is reported to have been used as a radiation
source as a substitute for a portable x-ray machine where
electricity is unavailable. Few other uses have been found.
Ytterbium metal is commercially available with a purity
ThE ELEMENlS~CoRtiiilied)
of about ~9 + % for about $1.50/gm, or 5300/lb. Yrterbium
has a low acute toxic rating.
© 1999 F. Davies
Delphi O.E.M. Co.
All rights reserved
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