 Discovery Information |
| Who:
Carl Mosander
|
| When: 1843 |
| Where: Sweden |
|
| Name Origin |
| From Ytterby, Sweden. |
|
| Sources |
| Found with other heavier rare earth metals, and in the minerals xenotime and euxenite. |
|
| Uses |
| For making photographic filters and as a
neutron
absorber. Erbium oxide is used in ceramics to obtain a pink glaze. |
|
| Notes |
| Metallic erbium in dust form presents a fire and explosion hazard. |
| Erbium is mostly dangerous in the working environment, due to the fact that damps and gasses can be inhaled with air. This can cause lung embolisms, especially during long-term exposure. Erbium can be a threat to the liver when it accumulates in the human body. |
