Lutetium

History

(Lutetia, ancient name for Paris, sometimes called cassiopeium by the Germans) In 1907, Urbain described a process by which Marignac's ytterbium (1879) could be separated into the two elements, ytterbium (neoytterbium) and lutetium. These elements were identical with "aldebaranium" and "cassiopeium," independently discovered at this time. The spelling of the element was changed from lutecium to lutetium in 1949.[1]

Properties

General
Name : litetium
Symbol : Lu
Atomic Number : 71
Chemical Series : Transition Metal
Block, Period : 3, 6
Appearance : silvery white
Atomic Properties
Atomic Weight : 174.967
Covalent Radius (pm) : 160
Physical Properties
Matter : solid
Density (kg/m3) : 9841
Hardness : n/a
Melting Point (K) : 1925
Boiling Point (K) : 3675
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol) : 355.9
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol) : 18.6
Specific Heat (J/(kg*K) ) : 150
Miscellaneous
Electrical Conductivity (/m ohm) : 1.85
Thermal Conductivity (W/(m*K) ) : 16.4

Lutetium occurs in very small amounts in nearly all minerals containing yttrium, and is present in monazite to the extent of about 0.003%, which is a commercial source. The pure metal has been isolated only in recent years and is one of the most difficult to prepare. It can be prepared by the reduction of anhydrous LuCl3 or LuF3 by an alkali or alkaline earth metal. The metal is silvery white and relatively stable in air.176Lu occurs naturally (2.6%) with 175Lu (97.4%). It is radioactive with a half-life of about 3 x 1010 years.[1]

Uses

Stable lutetium nuclides, which emit pure beta radiation after thermal neutron activation, can be used as catalysts in cracking, alkylation, hydrogenation, and polymerization. Virtually no other commercial uses have been found yet for lutetium.[1]

Handling

While lutetium, like other rare-earth metals, is thought to have a low toxicity rating, it should be handled with care until more information is available.[1]

Notes

[1] From Los Alamos National Laboratory's Chemistry Division Website