What Are the Main Uses and Significance of Erbium?
Erbium is an important element in the periodic table that has gained recognition due to its uses and chemical properties.
Carl Gustaf Mosander discovered erbium in the year 1842. Earlier, the element was known as Terbia because the properties of the element were found to be similar to rare-earth metals, where the name was changed from terbium to erbium. Erbium is present in several rare-earth minerals such as euxenite, xenotime as well as in laterite ionic clays. The element forms a part of the Lanthanide series of elements in the periodic table and is also present in the nuclear fission reactions.
Erbium also occurs with Tantalum and Tungsten and forms the Earth's crust. In the following discussion, we shall learn more about the properties of erbium, erbium meaning, erbium symbol, and its uses.
Erbium: Er Element Periodic Table
[Image will be Uploaded Soon]
After the discovery of this rare-earth element, it was named after Ytterby, Sweden. Erbium is a rare-earth element that possesses radioactive properties. The element is positioned at number 11 in the Lanthanide series.
The pure form of Erbium is silver to white and has relative stability in the presence of air. The element was one of the first Lanthanide elements to be discovered. It was discovered after the discovery of two oxides from Yttrium, and one of them was believed to be Erbium oxide that displayed a pink colouration. The other oxide was that of the metal terbium.
The study regarding properties and chemical reactions displayed by the element is difficult because Erbium generally occurs in combination with other rare-earth elements of the periodic table that leads to improper analysis of Erbium's properties.
Let us discuss the general properties of erbium and its representation in the periodic table.
Properties of Erbium
In pure form, the erbium displays malleable characteristics. As the element belongs to the Lanthanide series of the periodic table, its properties are similar to those of the rare-earth metals.
Erbium, which occurs naturally in minerals as a stable form, is composed of six isotopes,
Erbium-166 or 166Er
Erbium-168 or 168Er
Erbium-167 or 167Er
Erbium-170 or 170Er
Erbium-164 or 164Er
Erbium-162 or 162Er
Additionally, there are approximately 30 known isotopes of erbium that are radioactive. The element also has some nuclear isomers that have been discovered as products of nuclear fission reactions.
Certain Facts about Erbium
The general properties of Er periodic table are summarized below:
The symbol for erbium: Er
Group in periodic table: Lanthanide series
Period of the element: 6
Block of erbium in periodic table: f
Erbium atomic number: 68
Erbium electron configuration:[Xe] 4f126s2
ChemSpider ID: 22416
Did You Know?
ChemSpider ID is a free database that keeps a record of various elements' chemical structure and properties in the periodic table.
Physical Properties of Er Element Periodic Table
The erbium's physical properties are similar to metals like terbium and yttrium, and other associated rare-earth metals. The major physical properties of erbium are:
The melting point of erbium: 1522oC
The boiling point of erbium: 2510oC
The density of erbium: 9.07 g/cm3
The relative atomic mass of erbium: 167.259
State of erbium at room temperature: Solid-state
Isotopes of erbium: 166Er, 168Er, 167Er, 170Er or 169Er, 164Er,162Er
CAS number of erbium: 7440-52-0
Specific heat capacity of erbium: 168 J kg−1 K−1
Radioactive isotopes of erbium are unstable at normal state temperatures with very short half-lives.
Chemical Properties of Erbium
Erbium is one of the members of rare-earth metals in the Lanthanide family of the periodic table and hence, most of its chemical properties are similar to them and include:
The oxidation state of erbium is +3 and displays a pink colour in this oxidation state.
Erbium reacts shows a reaction with water.
The element shows solubility in acids.
Erbium reacts with all acids except Hydrogen fluoride due to the formation of ErF3 that acts as a protective layer that prevents further dissolution.
Erbium displays highly powerful magnetic properties, and it is antiferromagnetic.
Erbium occurs mixed with other rare-earth metals in mineral composition.
The purification of erbium from its mineral form is carried out using the liquid-liquid solvent extraction method.
Erbium has a hexagonal chemical structure with a single allotrope.
Erbium shows a metallothermic reaction with calcium fluoride.
Uses of Erbium
When the rare-earth metal is provided with a high energy state, the Er+3 emits photons of different wavelengths that enable the element's commercial use.
Erbium has the following uses:
It is used in fibre-optics transmissions and telecommunications in amplifiers.
Erbium is used in the development of lasers, and it adds a pink colouration to laser beams.
It is also used to induce a pink coloured tint in the development of lenses.
Zirconia is a type of synthetic gem that involves the use of erbium for stabilization.
Erbium, in its ionic state, finds use in laser surgery.
Erbium is used as a control rod in a nuclear reactor.
Erbium is used in the development of metal alloys.
It is also used in manufacturing coloured glasses.
FAQs on Erbium: Properties, Uses, and Key Facts
1. What is Erbium and where is its position in the periodic table?
Erbium (symbol Er) is a chemical element with atomic number 68. It is a bright, silvery-white, malleable solid metal. In the periodic table, it is classified as a rare-earth element and belongs to the lanthanide series (or f-block elements), which are known for their similar chemical properties. Erbium is relatively stable in air and does not oxidise as quickly as some other rare-earth metals.
2. What are the main applications of Erbium in technology and industry?
Erbium's unique optical properties make it highly valuable in several advanced applications. Its primary uses include:
- Fibre-Optic Amplifiers: Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs) are crucial for long-distance telecommunications, as they can amplify light signals without first converting them to electrical signals.
- Lasers: Erbium-doped lasers are widely used in medicine (especially dermatology and dentistry) and for range-finding because they emit light at a wavelength that is safely absorbed by water in tissues.
- Colouring Agent: Erbium oxide (Er₂O₃) is used to impart a characteristic pink colour to glass, cubic zirconia, and porcelain glazes.
- Nuclear Technology: As a neutron absorber, erbium is used in control rods in nuclear reactors to help regulate the rate of fission.
3. What are the key physical and chemical properties of Erbium?
Erbium exhibits properties characteristic of a lanthanide metal.
Physical Properties:
- Appearance: A soft, malleable, silvery-white metal.
- Density: 9.066 g/cm³.
- Melting Point: 1,529 °C (2,784 °F).
- Boiling Point: 2,868 °C (5,194 °F).
- Magnetic Properties: It is paramagnetic at room temperature.
- Oxidation State: Its most common and stable oxidation state is +3.
- Reactivity: It tarnishes slowly in air, reacts slowly with cold water, and dissolves in acids to form pink-coloured solutions containing the Er³⁺ ion.
- Compounds: It forms compounds like erbium(III) oxide (Er₂O₃) and various salts.
4. Why is Erbium considered a typical lanthanoid element?
Erbium is considered a typical lanthanoid because it perfectly exhibits the key characteristics defined by this series of elements as per the NCERT syllabus. Firstly, its most stable oxidation state is +3, which is the hallmark of the lanthanoid family. Secondly, its chemical behaviour, such as its reactivity with water and acids, closely mirrors that of its neighbours like holmium and thulium. Lastly, its atomic radius fits neatly into the trend of lanthanoid contraction, where atomic size steadily decreases across the series due to the poor shielding effect of f-electrons.
5. How does Erbium's electronic configuration explain its characteristic pink colour and use in lasers?
Erbium's electronic configuration is [Xe] 4f¹²6s². When it forms the stable Er³⁺ ion, it loses its two 6s electrons and one 4f electron, resulting in a [Xe] 4f¹¹ configuration. The partially filled 4f orbitals are responsible for its unique optical properties. The electrons within these f-orbitals can absorb energy and jump between different f-levels (f-f transitions). They absorb light in the green-yellow region of the spectrum, causing its compounds and solutions to appear pink. This same principle allows Er³⁺ ions to be excited and then release that energy as photons at a very specific wavelength (around 1550 nm), which is the fundamental mechanism behind its use in lasers and fibre-optic amplifiers.
6. What is Erbium Oxide and what are its specific uses?
Erbium(III) oxide, with the chemical formula Er₂O₃, is the primary compound of erbium. It is a pink-coloured powder that is insoluble in water but soluble in strong acids. Due to its distinct and stable pink hue, its main application is as a colouring agent. It is widely used to add a pink tint to materials like glass, artificial gems such as cubic zirconia, and decorative porcelain glazes. It is also used in some specialised optical lenses and as a dielectric material in certain semiconductor devices.
7. Is Erbium radioactive?
This is a common point of confusion. Naturally occurring erbium is not radioactive. It is composed of a mixture of six stable isotopes (¹⁶²Er, ¹⁶⁴Er, ¹⁶⁶Er, ¹⁶⁷Er, ¹⁶⁸Er, and ¹⁷⁰Er). While erbium does have several synthetic radioactive isotopes, these are created in laboratories and are not found in nature. Therefore, the element as it is typically handled and used is considered non-radioactive and safe from a radiation perspective.
8. Who discovered Erbium and how did it get its name?
Erbium was discovered in 1843 by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander. He discovered it by separating the mineral gadolinite into several new rare-earth elements. The element's name, along with those of Yttrium (Y), Terbium (Tb), and Ytterbium (Yb), is derived from Ytterby, a village in Sweden. The quarry near Ytterby was an unusually rich source of minerals containing these and other rare-earth elements, making it the origin of more elemental discoveries than any other location in the world.
