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Lutetium ( Lu )

Material Information

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General Description:  

Discovered in 1907 by G. Urbain in Paris, France, and, independently, by C. James at the University of New Hampshire, USA.

Lutetium is the hardest, densest and one of the rarest of the lanthanide group of elements (it has an abundance of 0.51 ppm in the earth's crust). It is found in some of the less common minerals (e.g. gadolinite and xenotime) and is difficult to isolate. Applications of lutetium tend to be limited to research only.
   

Atomic Properties

Atomic number 71
Atomic radius - Goldschmidt ( nm ) 0.173
Atomic weight ( amu ) 174.967
Crystal structure Hexagonal close packed
Electronic structure Xe 4f14 5d1 6s2
Ionization potential No. eV
1 5.43
2 13.9
Natural isotope distribution Mass No. %
175 97.4
176 2.6
Photo-electric work function ( eV ) 3.3
Thermal neutron absorption cross-section ( Barns ) 75
Valences shown 3

Electrical Properties

Electrical resistivity @20C ( µOhmcm ) 68
Temperature coefficient @0-100C ( K-1 ) 0.0024
Superconductivity critical temperature ( K ) 0.1

Mechanical Properties

Material condition Polycrystalline
Bulk modulus ( GPa ) 42
Hardness - Vickers 85
Poisson's ratio 0.223
Tensile modulus ( GPa ) 84

Physical Properties

Boiling point ( C ) 3395
Density @20C ( g cm-3 ) 9.842
Melting point ( C ) 1663

Thermal Properties

Coefficient of thermal expansion @0-400C ( x10-6 K-1 ) 12.5
Latent heat of evaporation ( J g-1 ) 2155
Latent heat of fusion ( J g-1 ) 110
Specific heat @25C ( J K-1 kg-1 ) 155
Thermal conductivity @0-100C ( W m-1 K-1 ) 16.4
All information and technical data are given as a guide only. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty is given as to its completeness or accuracy.
Standard products are available in these forms
Foil Lump Powder

Choose a form to search our on-line catalog