Erbium (Er)
lanthanideSolid
Masse atomique relative standard
167,259 uConfiguration électronique
[Xe] 6s2 4f12Point de fusion
1528,85 °CPoint d’ébullition
2867,85 °CMasse volumique
9070 kg/m³États d’oxydation
0, +1, +2, +3Électronégativité (Pauling)
1,24Énergie d’ionisation (1re)
6,1077 eVAnnée de découverte
1843Rayon atomique
175 pmDétails
Erbium is a lanthanide metal and one of the heavier rare-earth elements. In compounds it is dominated by the +3 oxidation state, giving many salts a characteristic pale pink color. Its greatest technological importance comes from optical transitions of Er³⁺ ions, especially in silica glass, where they enable amplification near 1.55 micrometres for fiber-optic communications. It occurs in nature with other rare earths rather than as a native metal.
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. Nine 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. 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.
The name derives from the Swedish town of Ytterby, where the ore gadolinite (in which it was found) was first mined. Erbium was discovered by the Swedish surgeon and chemist Carl-Gustav Mosander in 1843 in a yttrium sample. He separated the yttrium into yttrium, a rose-coloured salt he called terbium and a deep-yellow peroxide that he called erbium.
The mineral gadolinite ((Ce, La, Nd, Y)2FeBe2Si2O10), discovered in a quarry near the town of Ytterby, Sweden, has been the source of a great number of rare earth elements. In 1843, Carl Gustaf Mosander, a Swedish chemist, was able to separate gadolinite into three materials, which he named yttria, erbia and terbia. As might be expected considering the similarities between their names and properties, scientists soon confused erbia and terbia and, by 1877, had reversed their names. What Mosander called erbia is now called terbia and visa versa. From these two substances, Mosander discovered two new elements, terbium and erbium. Today, erbium is primarily obtained through an ion exchange process from the minerals xenotime (YPO4) and euxenite ((Y, Ca, Er, La, Ce, U, Th)(Nb, Ta, Ti)2O6).
Erbium, one of the so-called rare-earth elements on the lanthanide series, is found in the minerals mentioned under dysprosium. 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.
Pure erbium is a silvery-white metal with a metallic lustre. It is soft and malleable compared with many common structural metals, and it slowly tarnishes in air as an oxide layer forms. Finely divided erbium reacts more readily than massive pieces.
Erbium-doped silica glass is used in optical fiber amplifiers and some fiber lasers, where Er³⁺ emits in the low-loss telecommunications window. Erbium-doped crystals and glasses are also used in solid-state lasers, including medical and dental laser systems that couple strongly to water. Small additions of erbium can modify the properties of some alloys and nuclear materials, but these uses are limited compared with optical applications. Erbium oxide is used as a pink colorant in glass and ceramics.
Erbium is alloyed with vanadium to make it softer and easier to shape. Erbium is added to fiber optic cables as a doping agent where it is used as a signal amplifier. Erbium also has some uses in the nuclear power industry.
Erbia, the renamed material that Mosander discovered in 1843, is erbium oxide (Er2O3), one of erbium's compounds. Erbia has a pink color and is used to color glass and glazes. Other erbium compounds include: erbium fluoride (ErF3, erbium chloride (ErCl3 and erbium iodide (ErI3).
Erbium is finding nuclear and metallurgical uses. Added to vanadium, for example, erbium lowers the hardness and improves workability. Erbium oxide gives a pink color and has been used as a colorant in glasses and porcelain enamel glazes.
Isotopes in Biology
Radiolabeled 171Er (with a half-life of 7.5 h) tablets have been used to study bowel movements of individuals using external scintigraphy. Such tablets have an enteric coating and contain small amounts of stable erbium oxide (170Er) initially. The tablets are then irradiated at a low neutron flux to produce radioactively labeled 171Er tablets, via the 170Er (n, γ) 171Er reaction. This method is a noninvasive approach for determining gastric emptying rates and visualizing segments of the digestive system in an individual [479] A. Parr, R. M. Beihn, M. Jay. Int. J. Pharm.32, 251 (1986)., [480] M. C. Theodorakis. Am. Physiol. Soc. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol.239, G39 (1980)..
Isotopes in Medicine
169Er (with a half-life of 9.4 days) is used in radiosynovectomy, which is a regularly practiced radiotherapy, on rheumatoid arthritis patients whose condition is resistant to standard methods of treatment (Fig. IUPAC.68.1). Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the joint capsule (synovial sac), which is lined with a thin membrane called the synovium, of an individual’s moveable joints (synovial joints). In radiosynovectomy, the radiopharmaceutical called 169Er- citrate colloid, which contains colloidal particles that are labeled with β-emitting 169Er, is directly injected into the synovial cavity (the cavity between the bones in a moveable joint inside of the synovium) of the affected joint. These radioactive-colloid particles are then phagocytized (engulfed) by macrophage-like synoviocytes as well as other phagocytizing inflammatory cells in the patient’s synovium. Necrosis (tissue death) and the inhabitation of cell proliferation (increase in number of cells) result from the radiation of the synovium and therefore, temporarily halts synovitis (which is the condition of when the synovium thickens with inflammation) and improves synovial joint function [481] F. M. van der Zanta, Z. N. Jahangierb, G. G. M. Gommansa, J. D. Moolenburghc, J. W. G. Jacobs. Appl. Radiat. Isot.65, 649 (2007)., [482] S. J. Kim, K. A. Jung. Clin. Med. Res.5, 244 (2007)., [483] M. E. A. McNeil. The First Year Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, Marlowe & Company, New York, NY (2005)., [484] G. Prabhakar, S. S. Sachdev, N. Sivaprasad. Pharma Times41, 11 (2009)..
Erbium chemistry is typical of the trivalent lanthanides. Erbium(III) oxide, Er₂O₃, is a stable pink oxide and an important commercial intermediate. Erbium(III) chloride, ErCl₃, and erbium(III) nitrate, Er(NO₃)₃, form hydrated salts used in preparation and research. Er³⁺ is a hard Lewis acid and forms complexes with oxygen- and nitrogen-donor ligands. The +2 state is uncommon and strongly reducing; the +4 state is not a normal part of erbium chemistry under ordinary conditions.
See more information at the Erbium compound page.
Metallic erbium has low acute toxicity, but dust or turnings can present fire and inhalation hazards, as with many finely divided reactive metals. Soluble erbium salts should be handled as irritants and potential systemic toxicants because rare-earth ions can interact with biological ligands. Erbium has no known essential biological role. Natural erbium is only weakly radioactive in the practical sense; isotope-specific radiation hazards apply mainly to artificially produced radioisotopes.
Erbium is dispersed in the crust in rare-earth minerals such as monazite and xenotime, always mixed with chemically similar lanthanides. Weathering can release Er³⁺ into soils and sediments, where it tends to bind to clays, phosphates, carbonates, and organic matter rather than remain highly mobile. It has no established biological function, and environmental concern is usually linked to mining, separation reagents, and waste streams rather than to erbium alone.
Erbium is obtained as a by-product of rare-earth mining and separation, not from ores mined specifically for erbium. Processing relies on solvent extraction or ion-exchange methods to separate it from neighboring lanthanides with very similar chemistry. Demand is specialized and strongly tied to optical materials, lasers, and colorants, so the market is much smaller than for major light rare earths or magnet materials. Recycling is limited because erbium is often present as a dilute dopant in glass or ceramics, where recovery is technically possible but rarely economical.
Found with other heavier rare earths in xenotime and euxerite.
Erbium is a trace element in the cosmos. Its stable isotopes were made mainly by slow and rapid neutron-capture processes in earlier generations of stars, followed by incorporation into interstellar dust and later planetary material. In meteorites and rocky planets it behaves as a refractory lithophile rare earth and is concentrated with other lanthanides rather than forming separate phases.
- The name erbium comes from Ytterby, the Swedish village that also gave names to yttrium, terbium, and ytterbium.
- Er³⁺ in glass can amplify light directly inside an optical fiber without converting the signal to electricity.
- Erbium oxide is pink, although the pure metal is silvery.
- Natural erbium contains several stable isotopes, with ¹⁶⁶Er the most abundant.
- Erbium and holmium discoveries were historically entangled because rare-earth oxides were difficult to separate.
Images
Propriétés
Propriétés physiques
- Rayon atomique (empirique)
- 175 pm Comparer : Rayon atomique (empirique) de tous les éléments →
- Rayon covalent
- 189 pm Comparer : Rayon covalent de tous les éléments →
- Rayon de van der Waals
- 235 pm Comparer : Rayon de van der Waals de tous les éléments →
- Masse volumique
- 9070 kg/m³ Comparer : Masse volumique de tous les éléments →
- Volume molaire
- 0,0184 L/mol
- Phase aux CNTP
- Solide Comparer : Phase aux CNTP de tous les éléments →
- Point de fusion
- 1528,85 °C Comparer : Point de fusion de tous les éléments →
- Point d’ébullition
- 2867,85 °C Comparer : Point d’ébullition de tous les éléments →
- Capacité thermique massique
- 0,168 J/(g·K) Comparer : Capacité thermique massique de tous les éléments →
- Capacité thermique molaire
- 28,12 J/(mol·K) Comparer : Capacité thermique molaire de tous les éléments →
- Structure cristalline
- Hexagonal compact Comparer : Structure cristalline de tous les éléments →
Propriétés chimiques
- Électronégativité (Pauling)
- 1,24 Comparer : Électronégativité (Pauling) de tous les éléments →
- Affinité électronique
- 0,312 eV
- Énergie d’ionisation (1re)
- 6,1077 eV Comparer : Énergie d’ionisation (1re) de tous les éléments →
- Énergie d’ionisation (2e)
- 11,916041 eV Comparer : Énergie d’ionisation (2e) de tous les éléments →
- Énergie d’ionisation (3e)
- 22,700078 eV Comparer : Énergie d’ionisation (3e) de tous les éléments →
- Énergie d’ionisation (4e)
- 42,420146 eV Comparer : Énergie d’ionisation (4e) de tous les éléments →
- Énergie d’ionisation (5e)
- 65,100224 eV Comparer : Énergie d’ionisation (5e) de tous les éléments →
- États d’oxydation
- 0, +1, +2, +3 Comparer : États d’oxydation de tous les éléments →
- Électrons de valence
- 3 Comparer : Électrons de valence de tous les éléments →
- Configuration électronique
- [Xe] 6s2 4f12
Propriétés thermodynamiques
- Enthalpie de fusion
- 0,11815308 eV Comparer : Enthalpie de fusion de tous les éléments →
- Enthalpie de vaporisation
- 2,902005 eV Comparer : Enthalpie de vaporisation de tous les éléments →
- Enthalpie de sublimation
- 3,285485 eV
- Enthalpie d’atomisation
- 3,285485 eV
- Enthalpie d’atomisation
- 3,279266 eV
Propriétés nucléaires
- Protons
- 68 Comparer : Protons de tous les éléments →
- Neutrons
- 98 Comparer : Neutrons de tous les éléments →
- Isotopes connus
- 39 Comparer : Isotopes connus de tous les éléments →
- Isotopes stables
- 4 Comparer : Isotopes stables de tous les éléments →
- Isotope le plus stable
- Er-166
- Année de découverte
- 1843
Abondance
- Abondance (croûte terrestre)
- 3,5 mg/kg Comparer : Abondance (croûte terrestre) de tous les éléments →
- Abondance (océan)
- 8,7 × 10−7 mg/L Comparer : Abondance (océan) de tous les éléments →
Structure cristalline
- Paramètre de maille a
- 356 pm
Structure électronique
- Électrons par couche
- 2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2 Comparer : Électrons par couche de tous les éléments →
Identifiants
- Numéro CAS
- 7440-52-0 Comparer : Numéro CAS de tous les éléments →
- Symbole de terme
- 3H6
- InChI
- InChI=1S/Er
- Clé InChI
- UYAHIZSMUZPPFV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Configuration électronique Mesuré
Er: 4f¹² 6s²[Xe] 4f¹² 6s²1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹² 6s²Modèle atomique
Les isotopes diffèrent par leur nombre de neutrons, leur masse et leur stabilité — pas par la configuration électronique de l’atome neutre.
Modèle atomique schématique, non à l’échelle.
Empreinte atomique
Spectre d’émission / d’absorption
Distribution isotopique
| Nombre de masse | Masse atomique (u) | Abondance naturelle | Demi-vie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 164 Stable | 163,9292088 ± 0,000002 | 1,6010% | Stable |
| 166 Stable | 165,9302995 ± 0,0000022 | 33,5030% | Stable |
| 167 Stable | 166,9320546 ± 0,0000022 | 22,8690% | Stable |
| 168 Stable | 167,9323767 ± 0,0000022 | 26,9780% | Stable |
Phase / État
Explication: 1503,8 °C en dessous du point de fusion (1528,85 °C)
Schématique, non à l’échelle
Points de transition de phase
Énergies de transition
Énergie nécessaire pour faire fondre 1 mol au point de fusion
Énergie nécessaire pour vaporiser 1 mol au point d’ébullition
Énergie nécessaire pour sublimer 1 mol au point de sublimation
Masse volumique
Dans les conditions standard
Dans les conditions standard
Spectres atomiques
Affichage de 10 sur 68. Tri par charge ionique croissante.
Raies répertoriées ?
| Ion | Charge | Nombre total de raies | Probabilités de transition | Désignations des niveaux |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Er I | 0 | 232 | 11 | 13 |
| Er II | +1 | 285 | 11 | 12 |
| Er III | +2 | 120 | 0 | 0 |
Niveaux répertoriés ?
| Ion | Charge | Niveaux |
|---|---|---|
| Er I | 0 | 674 |
| Er II | +1 | 362 |
| Er III | +2 | 53 |
| Er IV | +3 | 10 |
| Er V | +4 | 2 |
| Er VI | +5 | 2 |
| Er VII | +6 | 2 |
| Er VIII | +7 | 2 |
| Er IX | +8 | 2 |
| Er X | +9 | 2 |
Rayons ioniques
| Charge | Coordinence | Spin | Rayon |
|---|---|---|---|
| +3 | 6 | N/D | 89 pm |
| +3 | 7 | N/D | 94.5 pm |
| +3 | 8 | N/D | 100.4 pm |
| +3 | 9 | N/D | 106.2 pm |
Composés
Isotopes (4)
| Nombre de masse | Masse atomique (u) | Abondance naturelle | Demi-vie | Mode de désintégration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 164 Stable | 163,9292088 ± 0,000002 | 1,6010% ± 0,0030% | Stable | stable | |
| 166 Stable | 165,9302995 ± 0,0000022 | 33,5030% ± 0,0360% | Stable | stable | |
| 167 Stable | 166,9320546 ± 0,0000022 | 22,8690% ± 0,0090% | Stable | stable | |
| 168 Stable | 167,9323767 ± 0,0000022 | 26,9780% ± 0,0180% | Stable | stable |
Propriétés étendues
Rayons covalents (données étendues)
- Rayon covalent (Pyykkö)
- 165 pm
- Rayon covalent (Pyykkö, liaison double)
- 133 pm
Rayons de van der Waals
- Alvarez
- 283 pm
- UFF
- 339,1 pm
- MM3
- 267 pm
Rayons atomiques et métalliques
- Rayon atomique (Rahm)
- 272 pm
Échelles de numérotation
- Mendeleev
- 35
- Pettifor
- 23
- Glawe
- 22
Échelles d’électronégativité
- Ghosh
- 0
- Miedema
- 3
- Gunnarsson–Lundqvist
- 5
- Robles–Bartolotti
- 4
Polarisabilité et dispersion
- Polarisabilité dipolaire
- 150 a.u.
- Polarisabilité dipolaire (incertitude)
- 10 a.u.
- C₆ (Gould–Bučko)
- 2150 Ha·Bohr6
Paramètres de Miedema
- Volume molaire de Miedema
- 18,45 cm3/mol
- Densité électronique de Miedema
- 2
Risque d’approvisionnement et économie
- Concentration de la production
- 97
- Risque relatif d’approvisionnement
- 10
- Répartition des réserves
- 50
- Stabilité politique (principal producteur)
- 24
- Stabilité politique (principal détenteur de réserves)
- 24
Transitions de phase et allotropes
| Point de fusion | 1802,15 K |
| Point d’ébullition | 3141,15 K |
Catégories d’états d’oxydation
Données de référence avancées
Constantes d’écran (13)
| n | Orbitale | σ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | s | 1,3263 |
| 2 | p | 4,346 |
| 2 | s | 17,7984 |
| 3 | d | 13,6397 |
| 3 | p | 20,3891 |
| 3 | s | 20,9231 |
| 4 | d | 35,7288 |
| 4 | f | 40,0216 |
| 4 | p | 32,8908 |
| 4 | s | 31,768 |
Détail des rayons cristallins (4)
| Charge | CN | Spin | rcrystal (pm) | Origine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | VI | 103 | from r^3 vs V plots, | |
| 3 | VII | 108,5 | ||
| 3 | VIII | 114,4 | from r^3 vs V plots, | |
| 3 | IX | 120,2 | from r^3 vs V plots, |
Modes de désintégration des isotopes (52)
| Isotope | Mode | Intensité |
|---|---|---|
| 142 | p | — |
| 143 | B+ | — |
| 143 | B+p | — |
| 144 | B+ | — |
| 145 | B+ | 100% |
| 145 | B+p | — |
| 146 | B+ | 100% |
| 146 | B+p | — |
| 147 | B+ | 100% |
| 147 | B+p | — |
Facteurs de diffusion des rayons X (514)
| Énergie (eV) | f₁ | f₂ |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | 0,18333 |
| 10,1617 | — | 0,18626 |
| 10,3261 | — | 0,18925 |
| 10,4931 | — | 0,19229 |
| 10,6628 | — | 0,19537 |
| 10,8353 | — | 0,1985 |
| 11,0106 | — | 0,20168 |
| 11,1886 | — | 0,20739 |
| 11,3696 | — | 0,21399 |
| 11,5535 | — | 0,2208 |
Données complémentaires
Estimated Crustal Abundance
The estimated element abundance in the earth's crust.
3.5 milligrams per kilogram
Références (1)
Estimated Oceanic Abundance
The estimated element abundance in the earth's oceans.
8.7×10-7 milligrams per liter
Références (1)
Références
(9)
Data deposited in or computed by PubChem
The half-life and atomic mass data was provided by the Atomic Mass Data Center at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Element data are cited from the Atomic weights of the elements (an IUPAC Technical Report). The IUPAC periodic table of elements can be found at https://iupac.org/what-we-do/periodic-table-of-elements/. Additional information can be found within IUPAC publication doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0703 Copyright © 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
The information are cited from Pure Appl. Chem. 2018; 90(12): 1833-2092, https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703.
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The periodic table at the LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) contains basic element information together with the history, source, properties, use, handling and more. The provenance data may be found from the link under the source name.
The periodic table contains NIST's critically-evaluated data on atomic properties of the elements. The provenance data that include data for atomic spectroscopy, X-ray and gamma ray, radiation dosimetry, nuclear physics, and condensed matter physics may be found from the link under the source name. Ref: https://www.nist.gov/pml/atomic-spectra-database
This section provides all form of data related to element Erbium.
The element property data was retrieved from publications.