Terbium

The terbium is a chemical element, of symbol Tb and Atomic number 65.

Notable characteristics

Terbium is a Métal belonging to the Rare earths, of silver plated gray aspect. Like the other family members of the lanthanides, it is malleable, ductible and enough slackness to be crossed with a knife. It is rather stable in the air, and exists in two allotropic forms, with a phase shift to 1289°C.

Its name derives from the village of Ytterby, close to Stockholm in Sweden where the Gadolinite was extracted. Terbium was identified in 1843 by Carl Gustaf Mosander in gadolinite at the same time as the Ytterbium and the Erbium. However its name was fixed only in 1877 after several confusions.

One extracts today terbium from the sand of Monazite (content from approximately 0,03%) like much of other rare earths.

Uses

  • Screen with x-rays: The best compound currently available for the screens to X-rays is the oxysulfate of Gadolinium doped with terbium (GdO2S: Tb3+).

  • green Fluorescence: Phosphorescent substance for cathode tubes. Activator of green phosphorus for cathode tubes in the form of Tb2O3 oxide.

See too

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