Ytterbium was discovered in 1878 by J.C.G. de Marignac in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ytterbium metal is a soft, malleable and ductile rare earth element that displays a bright silvery luster when in its pure form. It has an abundance of 3.3 ppm in the earth's crust and is always found in combination with other lanthanides. The metal is soft and malleable, oxidises slowly in air and reacts with water. It is widely used in stress gauges because of its electrical resistivity properties which rise under stress. Our Ytterbium Metal is available in numerous forms including power, rod, wire and sheet.

Applications of Ytterbium:

Used in stress gauges to measure earthquake deformations.

Used as a radiation source in X-ray machines and as a dopant of stainless steel.

Used in fiber amplifiers and fiber optic technologies.

Used in silicon photocells for radiant energy to electricity conversions.

Used in thermal barrier system bond coatings on nickel, iron and other transitional metal alloy substrates.