Formula Lu2O3 Melting point 2,490 °C | Molar mass 397.932 g/mol Boiling point 3,980 °C | |
Thermodynamic
data Phase behaviour
solid–liquid–gas | ||
Lutetium(III) oxide, a white solid, is a cubic compound of lutetium sometimes used in the preparation of specialty glasses. It is also called lutecia. It is a lanthanide oxide, also known as a rare earth.
Contents
History
In 1879, Jean-Charles-Galissard de Margnac (1817–1894), a French chemist, claimed to have discovered ytterbium, but he had found a mixture of elements. In 1907, a French chemist Georges Urbain (1872–1938) reported that ytterbium was a mixture of two new elements and not a single element. Two more chemists came to the same conclusion. They were from Germany, Karl Auer (1858–1929) and America, Charles James (1880–1926). The two compounds they discovered were neoytterbium and lutecium. However, none of these chemists dealt with pure lutetium. The compound they found was usually lutetium oxide.
Uses
Lutetium(III) oxide is an important raw material for laser crystals. It also has specialized uses in ceramics, glass, phosphors, and lasers. Lutetium(III) oxide is used as a catalyst in cracking, alkylation, hydrogenation, and polymerization. The band gap of lutetium oxide is 5.5 eV.