What is yttrium used for

Yttrium can rarely be found in nature, as it occurs in very small amounts. Yttrium is usually found only in two different kinds of ores. The use of yttrium is still growing, due to the fact that it is suited to produce catalysers and to polish glass. Yttrium is mostly dangerous in the working environment, due to the fact that damps and gasses can be inhaled with air. This can cause lung embolisms, especially during long-term exposure. Yttrium can also cause cancer with humans, as it enlarges the chances of lung cancer when it is inhaled.

Finally, it can be a threat to the liver when it accumulates in the human body. Yttrium is dumped in the environment in many different places, mainly by petrol-producing industries.

It can also enter the environment when household equipment is thrown away. Garnets made from yttrium and iron Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 are used as microwave filters in microwave communications equipment. Garnets made from yttrium and aluminum Y 3 Al 5 O 12 are used in jewelry as simulated diamond. Estimated Crustal Abundance : 3.

Estimated Oceanic Abundance : 1. Yttrium oxide yttria is added to zirconium oxide zirconia to make an alloy that stabilizes the crystal structure of zirconia, which ordinarily changes with temperature. Synthetic garnets made with an yttrium-aluminum composite were commonly sold in the s as simulated diamonds and other gemstones, but they eventually gave way to the cubic zirconia, Gambogi said.

These days, yttrium aluminum garnets YAG are used as the crystals that amplify light in industrial lasers. Yttrium iron garnets are used for microwave filters, as well as in radar and communication technology. Yttrium is widely used to produce phosphors that are used in cell phones and larger display screens as well as general lighting. Yttrium in red phosphors in color television tubes led to widespread use in the s and '70s.

Fluorescent tubes linear and compact use significantly more yttrium per watt than LED bulbs. The radioactive isotope yttrium is used in radiation therapy to treat liver cancer and some other cancers. Subramanian said that yttrium was easier to work with and less expensive than many other elements.

For example, researchers are using yttrium instead of the much more expensive platinum to develop fuel cells. Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology and Technical University of Denmark are using yttrium and other rare earth metals in nanoparticle form, which may one day eliminate the need for fossil fuels and advance the efficiency of battery-powered cars.

Yttrium-based superconductivity research continues around the world. It is used as a deoxidizer for vanadium and other nonferrous metals. Yttrium has a low cross section for nuclear capture. Yttrium has been considered for use as a nodulizer for producing nodular cast iron, in which the graphite forms compact nodules instead of the usual flakes, which results in increased ductility of the iron. The most common use of yttrium oxide is in the making of europium phosphors, which provide the red color in cathode-ray tubes.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds are used for this purpose. Another main use for yttrium oxide is to produce yttrium-iron garnets Fig. Garnets are a class of silicate materials with unique properties that have been used as gemstones and abrasives for thousands of years. In recent years, yttrium-iron garnets have been used as acoustic transmitters and transducers since they are extremely efficient transmitters and transducers of acoustic energy. They also find use in solid-state lasers, Faraday rotators, data storage and for certain nonlinear optics applications.

Yttrium-aluminum garnets are used as gemstones, simulating natural diamond, and to form laser components. This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience.