28 Holmium Facts: Properties, Uses, Discovery, And More

In this article, you will read about holmium oxide and learn some interesting facts about this element.

A chemical compound known as holmium oxide is one of the rare earth metals which is a combination of holmium and oxygen with the formula Ho2O3. Standing beside dysprosium oxide Dy2O3, holmium is claimed to be one of the most powerful paramagnetic substances with an atomic weight of 164.9 amu that has ever come into existence.

The oxide is named holmia and it appears as a component of a related erbium oxide mineral, also known as erbia. The oxides of trivalent lanthanides ordinarily coexist naturally, and specialized methods are necessary for the successful separation of these components.

This element is used in manufacturing colored specialty glasses. Glasses that contain holmium oxide and its solution comprise a series of optical sharp absorption peaks in the spectral range that is visible. For optical spectrophotometers, they are conventionally utilized as a convenient calibration standard.

Depending on the lighting conditions, this chemical element has some moderately substantial color changes. It comprises a tannish yellow color while in the daylight.

When exposed to trichromatic light, it gains fiery orange-red color, which is almost identical to the way erbium looks when exposed to the same lighting. The oxide has a cubic and rather complex structure with a large lattice of 1.06 nm with many atoms per unit cell. Holmium metal can readily oxidize in air.

As a result, the presence of holmium is synonymous in nature with that of holmia. The major mining areas globally comprise the United States, Brazil, China, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

Facts About Holmium

Now that we have got to know about this amazing element let's move forward to read some more interesting facts!

Is holmium hazardous or poisonous? Holmium is an element with the chemical symbol Ho and atomic number 67 in the periodic table and it is proven to be non-toxic.

Holmium oxide is a light yellow colored powder that is insoluble in water by nature.

What does it look like? Holmium is a silvery-white, soft, bright, unique earth metal that is both malleable and ductile.

This element does not react at normal temperatures in dry air but does rapidly oxidize to yellow oxide (Ho2O3) when heated or in moist air.

Holmium has proved to have unusual magnetic properties, comprising the highest magnetic moment (10.6 µB) of any naturally existing element on Earth.

Due to its special magnetic properties, this element is utilized in alloys as a flux concentrator used for high magnetic fields and for the production of magnets.

This element is said to have low amounts of toxicity.

Holmia is utilized as a red or yellow coloring for cubic zirconia and glass.

Nuclear reactor control rods are manufactured from holmium isotopes as they are good neutron absorbers.

This element is utilized for non-invasive medical procedures in solid-state lasers like kidney stones and treating cancers.

Holmium is claimed to be one of the most powerful paramagnetic substances.

Uses Of Holmium

Listed below are some uses of this rare earth metal. Studies have noted that holmium helps stimulate metabolism, although it appears to have a low acute toxic rate.

What is holmium used for? Holmium has the ability to absorb neutrons. As a result, it is utilized in nuclear reactors in order to keep the change reaction under control.

Alloys of holmium are used in the production of some magnets.

Holmium oxide is also used as an alternative to yellow gas coloring.

At a wavelength of 2.08 micrometers, holmium's laser operates either in a continuous or pulsed regime. This layer has proven to be eye-safe and is usually used in medicine lidars, atmosphere monitoring, wind velocity measurements, and many other such purposes.

Holmium's Chemical Properties

Now that we have had a look at the uses of this chemical element, let's have a look at its chemical and physical properties. This element is found as one of the minor components of the minerals bastnaesite and monazite.

Holmium is extracted from these ores, which is then processed to extract yttrium. It is obtained by solvent extraction and ion exchange.

How many electrons and protons does holmium comprise? Holmium comprises 67 numbers of both protons and electrons.

The atomic number of holmium is 67, as mentioned in the periodic table.

The standard state of this element is solid at 76.7 F (24.8 C).

The atomic weight of holmium is 164.9 amu and its group name is lanthanoid.

Its period in the periodic table is six and the block is f-block.

Its color, as mentioned earlier, is silvery-white and its classification is metallic.

The melting point of this element is 2685 F (1474 C) and the boiling point is 4892 F (2700 C).

The density of holmium is 8.8 g per cu cm and it is in a solid state at room temperature.

Holmium's Discovery And Habitat

Holmium is discovered in certain habitats and it is estimated that the presence of holmium is only around 0.7-1.2 ppm in the Earth's crust.

When and where was holmium discovered? In 1878, holmium was discovered by named Louis Soret and Marc Delafontaine and separately by Swedish chemist Per Teodor Cleve at Uppsala in Sweden.

Both these groups carried out an investigation on yttrium which was adulterated alongside traces of some other rare earth, also known as lanthanoids which had already yielded erbium which was then supposed to yield ytterbium.

Cleve had a closer look at what was left after the ytterbium was eliminated and realized that it should comprise yet few other elements as he discovered that its atomic weight was dependent on its source. In 1878, he then individually separated holmium from erbium.

Soret and Delafontaine extracted holmium from that same source but also saw some unexplained lines within the atomic spectrum.