Yttrium is a chemical element with symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and it has often been classified as a "rare earth element". Yttrium is almost always found combined with the lanthanides in rare earth minerals and is never found in nature as a free element.
Three reasons Yttrium stands out
- 1
Used in LEDs and superconductors.
- 2
Its radioactive isotope is used in targeted radiation therapy to treat certain cancers.
- 3
It was once used to produce the red colour on cathode-ray tube television screens.
A rare earth that is not a lanthanide
Yttrium often travels with lanthanides in the same ores and behaves chemically like them, despite occupying a different position in the table. Yttrium compounds support red phosphors, lasers, superconductors, and tough ceramics. Its oxide also stabilizes zirconia used in dental crowns and oxygen sensors.