Thulium

Chemical element symbol is (Tm) and atomic number 69.

Thulium is a Rare Earth Metal classified in the group of Heavy Rare Earth Elements (REE).

Swedish chemist Per Teodor Cleve discovered Thulium in 1879 by looking for impurities in the oxides of other Rare Earth elements. Cleve started by removing all known contaminants Erbia. After further processing, he obtained two new substances: a brown and green. The brown substance is holmium oxide and Holmia Cleve appoints the element. The green stuff is the oxide of an unknown element. Cleve named the oxide the Thulia and its element thulium after Thule, Scandinavia. The atomic symbol Thulium was initially (Tu) and was modified (Tm).

The Thulium is a shiny silver metal that is reasonably stable in air. Itis soft, malleable and can be cut with a knife. Thulium pure metal tamishes slowly in air and burns readily at 150 °C to form oxide Thulium. Thulium reacts with halogens.

As the fifth member of the group Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE), the Thulium five unpaired electrons that give fluores- cence ability to reduce exposure to X-rays, stadiums and sports fields lighting and laser beams to surgeries.

When irradiated in a nuclear reactor, thulium produces an isotope that emits x-rays. A ‘button’ of this isotope is used to make a lightweight, portable x-ray machine for medical use. Thulium is used in lasers with surgical applications.