Lutetium
| General properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name, symbol | Lutetium, Lu | ||||
| Appearance | Silvery-white | ||||
| Lutetium in the periodic table | |||||
| |||||
| Atomic number | 71 | ||||
| Standard atomic weight (Ar) | 174.9668(1) | ||||
| Group, block | , f-block | ||||
| Period | period 6 | ||||
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2 | ||||
per shell | 2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2 | ||||
| Physical properties | |||||
| Silvery-white | |||||
| Phase | Solid | ||||
| Melting point | 1925 K (1652 °C, 3006 °F) | ||||
| Boiling point | 3675 K (3402 °C, 6156 °F) | ||||
| Density near r.t. | 9.841 g/cm3 | ||||
| when liquid, at | 9.3 g/cm3 | ||||
| Heat of fusion | 22 kJ/mol | ||||
| Heat of | 414 kJ/mol | ||||
| Molar heat capacity | 26.86 J/(mol·K) | ||||
| pressure | |||||
| Atomic properties | |||||
| Oxidation states | 3, 2, 1 (a weakly basic oxide) | ||||
| Electronegativity | Pauling scale: 1.27 | ||||
| energies |
1st: 523.5 kJ/mol 2nd: 1340 kJ/mol 3rd: 2022.3 kJ/mol | ||||
| Atomic radius | empirical: 174 pm | ||||
| Covalent radius | 187±8 pm | ||||
| Miscellanea | |||||
| Crystal structure | Hexagonal close-packed (hcp) | ||||
| Thermal expansion | 9.9 µm/(m·K) (poly) | ||||
| Thermal conductivity | 16.4 W/(m·K) | ||||
| Electrical resistivity | 5.82·10-7 Ω·m (poly) | ||||
| Magnetic ordering | Paramagnetic | ||||
| Young's modulus | 68.6 GPa | ||||
| Shear modulus | 27.2 GPa | ||||
| Bulk modulus | 47.6 GPa | ||||
| Poisson ratio | 0.261 | ||||
| Vickers hardness | 755–1160 MPa | ||||
| Brinell hardness | 890–1300 MPa | ||||
| CAS Registry Number | 7439-94-3 | ||||
| History | |||||
| Naming | After Lutetia, Latin for: Paris, in the Roman era | ||||
| Discovery | Carl Auer von Welsbach and Georges Urbain (1906) | ||||
| First isolation | Carl Auer von Welsbach (1906) | ||||
| Named by | Georges Urbain (1906) | ||||
Lutetium is a chemical element with symbol Lu and atomic number 71. It is considered the first element of the 6th-period transition metals and the last element in the lanthanide series, and is traditionally counted among the rare earths.
Lutetium's position in the periodic table is not entirely agreed on. Some models put it in group 3, others or at the end of the f block with lanthanum and actinium instead, while other types of tables only have scandium and yttrium, leaving lutetium in the f block.
Contents
Properties
Chemical
Lutetium resists oxidation in dry air, but will slowly react with water. It will also react with most acids, both organic and inorganic.
Physical
Lutetium is a silvery white metal. It has a meting point of 1652 °C and a boiling point of 3402 °C. Its density is 9.841 g/cm3.
Availability
Lutetium can be purchased from Metallium and eBay.
Preparation
Reducing lutetium salts, like lutetium chloride with calcium will yield lutetium metal.
Projects
- Make lutetium aluminium garnet
- Make lutetium tantalate
Handling
Safety
Lutetium reacts with water to release hydrogen, which is flammable.
Luthetium compounds are thought to be non-toxic. At least one compound, Motexafin lutetium has been studied in cancer treatment.
Storage
Luthetium should be kept in closed containers, away from moisture and acids.
Disposal
Since lutetium is expensive, it's best to try to recycle it.
