 Discovery Information |
| Who:
Eugene Demarcay
|
| When: 1901 |
| Where: France |
|
| Name Origin |
| From Europe. |
|
| Sources |
| It is never found in nature as a free element. There are many minerals that contain europium, the important of these are bastnasite and monazite. |
|
| Uses |
| Used with yttrium oxide to make red phosphors for colour televisions. A salt of Europium is a component of the newer phosphorescent powders and paints, some of which will glow for days after a few minutes of exposure to light. |
|
| Notes |
| Europium is the most reactive of the
rare earth elements
; it quickly oxidizes in air, and resembles calcium in its reaction with water. It is about as hard as lead and quite
ductile
. |
