Yttrium

Chemical element symbol is (Y) and atomic number 39.

Yttrium is a Rare Earth Metal classified in the group of Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE).

Itis in 1787 that Yttrium is discovered. Carl Axel Arrhenius, an army lieutenant and amateur chemist, found a heavy black rock in an old quarry near the Swedish village of Ytterby (now in the archipelago of Stockholm). Thinking it is an unknown mineral containing tungsten, an element that has just been discovered, he baptizes Ytterbite (named after the village where he exposed, the more its suffix to indicate it is a mineral) and sends samples to several chemists for analysis.

The Yttrium is a soft metal, metallic appearance, belonging to group elements 3 of the periodic table. The Yttrium is present in most minerals containing Rare Earth, and in some uranium ores but is never found in nature as a free element.

The Yttrium has no known biological role, but it is found in most (if not all) organizations, it focuses in humans in the liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen and bones. It is also found in breast milk. The highest concentration is occurring in cabbage. Used in medicaments for the treatment of various cancers, including lymphomas, leukaemia, ovarian, colorectal, pancreas and bone cancer.

Annual world production of Yttrium oxide had reached 600 tons until 2001, with reserves estimated at 9 million tons.