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Yttrium - Applications

Yttrium - Applications: Encyclopedia II - Yttrium - Applications

Yttrium(III) oxide is the most important yttrium compound and is widely used to make YVO4 europium and Y2O3 europium phosphors that give the red color in color television picture tubes. Other uses; Yttrium oxide is also used to make yttrium-iron garnets which are very effective microwave filters. Yttrium iron, aluminium, and gadolinium garnets (e.g. Y3Fe5O12 and Y3Al5O12) have interesting magnetic properties. Yttrium iron ...

Yttrium: Encyclopedia II - Yttrium - Applications

Yttrium - Applications

Yttrium(III) oxide is the most important yttrium compound and is widely used to make YVO₄ europium and Y₂O₃ europium phosphors that give the red color in color television picture tubes. Other uses;

Yttrium oxide is also used to make yttrium-iron garnets which are very effective microwave filters.
Yttrium iron, aluminium, and gadolinium garnets (e.g. Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ and Y₃Al₅O₁₂) have interesting magnetic properties. Yttrium iron garnet is very efficient as an acoustic energy transmitter and transducer. Yttrium aluminium garnet has a hardness of 8.5 and is also used as a gemstone (simulated diamond).
Small amounts of the element (0.1 to 0.2%) have been used to reduce grain size of chromium, molybdenum, titanium, and zirconium. It is also used to increase the strength of aluminium and magnesium alloys.
Used as a catalyst for ethylene polymerization.
Yttrium aluminium garnet, yttrium lithium fluoride, and yttrium vanadate are used in combination with dopants such as neodymium or erbium in infrared lasers.
This metal can be used to deoxidize vanadium and other nonferrous metals.
Yttrium is also used in the manufacture of gas mantles for propane lanterns.
Cerium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG:Ce) crystals are used as phosphors to make white LEDs.
Yttrium was used as a "secret" element in a superconductor developed at the University of Houston, YBaCuO. This superconductor operated above 90K, an amazing feat because it can operate at above liquid nitrogen's boiling point. (Y_1.2Ba_0.8CuO₄). The matter created was a multi-crystal multi-phase mineral, of which were black and green.

Yttrium has been studied for possible use as a nodulizer in the making of [[nodular cast iron which has increased ductility (the graphite forms compact nodules instead of flakes to form nodular cast iron). Potentially, yttrium can be used in ceramic and glass formulas, since yttrium oxide has a high melting point and imparts shock resistance and low thermal expansion characteristics to glass.