Lutetium
loo-TEE-shi-em
Lutetium (Lu) is a silvery-white coloured metal that has the atomic number 71 in the periodic table. It is a Lanthanide metal. It has the symbol Lu.
Lutetium was the last rare earth metal to be discovered in the mineral Ytterbia by Carl Auer von Welsbach, Charles James, and Georges Urbain. It was Urbain who successfully separated out Lutetium in 1907 using nitric acid. It exists in the earth’s crust in minerals and ores and whilst rare is more abundant than gold and silver. Lutetium oxide is used in catalysts in the petroleum industry and Lu -177 the isotope is used in cancer treatments due to its radioactivity. Lutetium atoms are the smallest of all the lanthanides meaning it has the highest melting and boiling points. It is a solid metal at room temperature with a melting point of 1652°c and a boiling point of 3402°c.
FAQ's
Georges Urbain
1907
Uses
It has no practical applications.
Sources
Found with ytterbium in gadolinite and xenotime. Usually obtained from monazite sand which is ofter 50% rare earth by weight and 0.003% lutetium.
About the author
Nathan M
Nathan has a degree in BSc Biomedical Chemistry at Warwick University and a degree in PGCE Science at Wolverhampton University, UK. Nathan's subject matter ranges from general chemistry and organic chemistry. Nathan also created the curriculum on Breaking Atom in the course page.
Citation
Lu
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