Yttrium
39
Y
Group
3
Period
5
Block
d
Protons
Electrons
Neutrons
39
39
50
General Properties
Atomic Number
39
Atomic Weight
88.90585
Mass Number
89
Category
Transition metals
Color
Silver
Radioactive
No
Named after Ytterby, a village in Sweden near Vauxholm
Crystal Structure
Simple Hexagonal
History
In 1787, Carl Axel Arrhenius found a new mineral near Ytterby in Sweden and named it ytterbite, after the village.
Johan Gadolin discovered yttrium's oxide in Arrhenius' sample in 1789, and Anders Gustaf Ekeberg named the new oxide yttria.
Elemental yttrium was first isolated in 1828 by Friedrich Wöhler.
Johan Gadolin discovered yttrium's oxide in Arrhenius' sample in 1789, and Anders Gustaf Ekeberg named the new oxide yttria.
Elemental yttrium was first isolated in 1828 by Friedrich Wöhler.
Electrons per shell
2, 8, 18, 9, 2
Electron Configuration
[Kr] 4d1 5s2
Finely divided yttrium is very unstable in air
Physical Properties
Phase
Solid
Density
4.469 g/cm3
Melting Point
1799.15 K | 1526 °C | 2778.8 °F
Boiling Point
3609.15 K | 3336 °C | 6036.8 °F
Heat of Fusion
11.4 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization
380 kJ/mol
Specific Heat Capacity
0.298 J/g·K
Abundance in Earth's crust
0.0029%
Abundance in Universe
7×10-7%
CAS Number
7440-65-5
PubChem CID Number
23993
Atomic Properties
Atomic Radius
180 pm
Covalent Radius
190 pm
Electronegativity
1.22 (Pauling scale)
Ionization Potential
6.2173 eV
Atomic Volume
19.8 cm3/mol
Thermal Conductivity
0.172 W/cm·K
Oxidation States
1, 2, 3
Applications
Yttrium is often used in alloys, increasing the strength of aluminum and magnesium alloys.
Yttrium is one of the elements used to make the red color in CRT televisions.
It is also used as a deoxidizer for non-ferrous metals such as vanadium.
Yttrium can be used in laser systems and as a catalyst for ethylene polymerization reactions.
Yttrium is one of the elements used to make the red color in CRT televisions.
It is also used as a deoxidizer for non-ferrous metals such as vanadium.
Yttrium can be used in laser systems and as a catalyst for ethylene polymerization reactions.
Exposure to yttrium compounds in humans may cause lung disease
Isotopes
Stable Isotopes
89YUnstable Isotopes
76Y, 77Y, 78Y, 79Y, 80Y, 81Y, 82Y, 83Y, 84Y, 85Y, 86Y, 87Y, 88Y, 90Y, 91Y, 92Y, 93Y, 94Y, 95Y, 96Y, 97Y, 98Y, 99Y, 100Y, 101Y, 102Y, 103Y, 104Y, 105Y, 106Y, 107Y, 108Y