Europium
Name: Europium
Symbol: Eu
Atomic Number: 63
Mass fraction of the earth’s shell: 0,099 ppm
Melting Point: 822 °C
Boiling Point: 1529 °C
Electrical Conductivity: 1,2 · 106 A·V−1·m−1
Name: Europium
Symbol: Eu
Atomic Number: 63
Mass fraction of the earth’s shell: 0,099 ppm
Melting Point: 822 °C
Boiling Point: 1529 °C
Electrical Conductivity: 1,2 · 106 A·V−1·m−1
HISTORY
When Sir William Crookes discovered the mineral samarskite in 1886, he found an unknown line in the spectrum of a product. This was the first clue to europium.
The actual discovery of the element took place 15 years later in Paris by the French chemist Eugène Anatole Demarçay. Because numerous European chemists were involved in the discovery and the difficult detection, it was called europium.
CHRACTERISTICS & EXTRACTION
Europium has a wide range of technical applications. For example, it is used in cathode ray tube screens, fluorescent lamps, and plasma screens. Europium is also needed for the luminescent materials used in aircraft instruments.