Yttrium(III) oxide

Applications

Phosphors

Yttrium oxide is widely used to make Eu:YVO4 and Eu:Y2O3 phosphors that give the red color in color TV picture tubes.

Yttria lasers

Y2O3 is a prospective solid-state laser material. In particular, lasers with ytterbium as dopant allow the efficient operation both in continuous operation{{cite journal

Gas lighting

The original use of the mineral yttria and the purpose of its extraction from mineral sources was as part of the process of making gas mantles and other products for turning the flames of artificially-produced gases (initially hydrogen, later coal gas, paraffin, or other products) into human-visible light. This use is almost obsolete - thorium and cerium oxides are larger components of such products these days.

Dental ceramics

Yttrium oxide is used to stabilize the Zirconia in late-generation porcelain-free metal-free dental ceramics. This is a very hard ceramic used as a strong base material in some full ceramic restorations. The zirconia used in dentistry is zirconium oxide which has been stabilized with the addition of yttrium oxide. The full name of zirconia used in dentistry is "yttria-stabilized zirconia" or YSZ.

Microwave filters

Yttrium oxide is also used to make yttrium iron garnets, which are very effective microwave filters.

Superconductors

Y2O3 is used to make the high temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7, known as "1-2-3" to indicate the ratio of the metal constituents:

: 2 Y2O3 + 8 BaO + 12 CuO + O2 → 4 YBa2Cu3O7 This synthesis is typically conducted at 800 °C.

Inorganic synthesis

Yttrium oxide is an important starting point for inorganic compounds. For organometallic chemistry it is converted to YCl3 in a reaction with concentrated hydrochloric acid and ammonium chloride.

High-temperature coatings

Y2O3 is used in specialty coatings and pastes that can withstand high temperatures and act as a barrier for reactive metals such as uranium.

Heat radiators

NASA developed a material it dubbed Solar White that it is exploring for use as a radiator in deep space, where it is expected to reflect more than 99.9% of the sun’s energy (low solar radiation absorption and high infrared emittance). A sphere covered with a 10 mm coating sited far from the Earth and 1 astronomical unit from the sun could keep temperatures below 50 K. One use is long-term cryogenic storage.

Optical Industry

It's also used to create red phosphors for LED screens and TV tubes, as well as in anti-reflective coatings to enhance light transmission.

Natural occurrence

Yttriaite-(Y), approved as a new mineral species in 2010, is the natural form of yttria. It is exceedingly rare, occurring as inclusions in native tungsten particles in a placer deposit of the Bol’shaja Pol’ja () river, Prepolar Ural, Siberia. As a chemical component of other minerals, the oxide yttria was first isolated in 1789 by Johan Gadolin, from rare-earth minerals in a mine at the Swedish town of Ytterby, near Stockholm.

References

References

1. "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 102nd Edition". [[CRC Press]].
2. (1997). "Electronic, structural, and optical properties of crystalline yttria". Phys. Rev..
3. R. Robie, B. Hemingway, and J. Fisher, “Thermodynamic Properties of Minerals and Related Substances at 298.15K and 1bar Pressure and at Higher Temperatures,” US Geol. Surv., vol. 1452, 1978. [https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1452/report.pdf]
4. {{IDLH. 7440655. Yttrium compounds (as Y)
5. (1967). "Thermal conductivity, Diffusivity, and Expansion of Y₂O₃, Y₃Al₅O₁₂, and LaF₃ in the Range 77-300 K". [[J. Appl. Phys.]].
6. (2013). "Advanced ceramics for dentistry". Elsevier/BH.
7. "Yttrium Oxide Powder Supplier {{!}} Stanford Materials Corporation".
8. (2007-12-15). "Synthesis of thermal spray grade yttrium oxide powder and its application for plasma spray deposition". Materials Chemistry and Physics.
9. "SOLAR WHITE THERMAL COATING FOR CRYOGENIC PROPULSION SYSTEMS".
10. Youngquist, Robert. (2016-05-13). "Cryogenic Selective Surfaces - NASA".
11. (2014). "Rare Earth-Based Corrosion Inhibitors". Woodhead Publishing.
12. Mindat, http://www.mindat.org/min-40471.html