Element category: lanthanide
Europium is a ductile silvery metal belonging to the lanthanide group of the periodic table. It is the most reactive one of the rare earth elements.
Commercial applications of europium are very few. It is excellent at absorbing neutrons, so it is used in control rods for nuclear reactors. Europium-doped plastic is often used as a laser material.
Europium has abundant forms of compounds. Europium oxide (Eu2O3) is widely used as a red phosphor in television or fluorescent lamp and as an activator for yttrium-based phosphors.