- 🇬🇧 Europium
- 🇺🇦 Європій
- 🇨🇳 銪
- 🇳🇱 Europium
- 🇫🇷 Europium
- 🇩🇪 Europium
- 🇮🇱 אירופיום
- 🇮🇹 Europio
- 🇯🇵 ユウロピウム
- 🇵🇹 Európio
- 🇪🇸 Europio
- 🇸🇪 Europium
- 🇷🇺 Европий
- Name: europium
- Symbol: Eu
- Atomic number: 63
- Relative atomic mass (Ar): 151.964 (1) g [see note g]
- Standard state: solid at 298 K
- Appearance: silvery white
- Classification: Metallic
- Group in periodic table:
- Group name: Lanthanoid
- Period in periodic table: 6 (lanthanoid)
- Block in periodic table: f
- Shell structure: 2.8.18.25.8.2
- CAS Registry: 7440-53-1
Europium atoms have 63 electrons and the shell structure is 2.8.18.25.8.2. The ground state electronic configuration of neutral europium is [Xe].4f7.6s2 and the term symbol of europium is 8S7/2.
Europium: description
Europium ignites in air at about 150 to 180°C. Europium is about as hard as lead and is quite ductile. It is the most reactive of the rare earth metals, quickly oxidising in air. It resembles calcium in its reaction with water. It is used in television screens to produce a red colour.
europium
This sample is from The Elements Collection, an attractive and safely packaged collection of the 92 naturally occurring elements that is available for sale.
Europium: physical properties
- Density of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Density of solid: 5244 kg m-3
- Molar volume of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Molar volume: 28.97 cm3
- Thermal conductivity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Thermal conductivity: 14 W m‑1 K‑1
Europium: heat properties
- Melting point on a miniature periodic table spark table Melting point: 1099 [826 °C (1519 °F)] K
- Boiling point on a miniature periodic table spark table Boiling point: 1800 [1527 °C (2781 °F)] K
- Enthalpy of fusion on a miniature periodic table spark table Enthalpy of fusion: 20.5 kJ mol-1
Europium: atom sizes
- Atomic radius (empirical) of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Atomic radius (empirical): 185 pm
- Covalent (single bond) radius on a periodic table spark table Molecular single bond covalent radius: 168 (coordination number 3) ppm
- van der Waals radius on a periodic table spark table van der Waals radius: 283 ppm
Europium: electronegativities
- Pauling electronegativity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Pauling electronegativity: (no data) (Pauling units)
- Allred-Rochow electronegativity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark tableAllred Rochow electronegativity: 1.01 (Pauling units)
- Mulliken-Jaffe electronegativity of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark tableMulliken-Jaffe electronegativity: (no data)
Europium: orbital properties
- First ionization energy the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table First ionisation energy: 547.11 kJ mol‑1
- Second ionization energy the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Second ionisation energy: 1084.5 kJ mol‑1
- Third ionization energy the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Third ionisation energy: 2400 kJ mol‑1
Europium: abundances
- Chemical elements abundance by weight in the universe on a miniature periodic table spark tableUniverse: 0.5 ppb by weight
- Chemical elements abundance by weight in the earth's crust on a miniature periodic table spark tableCrustal rocks: 1800 ppb by weight
- Chemical elements abundance by weight in humans on a miniature periodic table spark tableHuman: (no data) ppb by weight
Europium: crystal structure
Europium: biological data
- Human abundance by weight of the chemical elements on a miniature periodic table spark table Human abundance by weight: (no data) ppb by weight
Europium has no biological role.
Europium: uses
Europium: reactions
Reactions of europium as the element with air, water, halogens, acids, and bases where known.
Europium: binary compounds
Binary compounds with halogens (known as halides), oxygen (known as oxides), hydrogen (known as hydrides), and other compounds of europium where known.
Europium: compound properties
Bond strengths; lattice energies of europium halides, hydrides, oxides (where known); and reduction potentials where known.
Europium: history
Europium was discovered by Eugene Demarcay in 1901 at France. Origin of name: named after "Europe".Europium: isotopes
Europium has two stable isotopes and both are used for the production of radioisotopes. Eu-151 is used for the production of Eu-152 which is used as a reference source in gammaspectroscopy. Eu-153 can be used for the production of high specific activity Sm-153 via fast neutron irradiation.
Europium: isolation
Isolation: europium metal is available commercially so it is not normally necessary to make it in the laboratory, which is just as well as it is difficult to isolate as the pure metal. This is largely because of the way it is found in nature. The lanthanoids are found in nature in a number of minerals. The most important are xenotime, monazite, and bastnaesite. The first two are orthophosphate minerals LnPO4 (Ln deonotes a mixture of all the lanthanoids except promethium which is vanishingly rare) and the third is a fluoride carbonate LnCO3F. Lanthanoids with even atomic numbers are more common. The most comon lanthanoids in these minerals are, in order, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium. Monazite also contains thorium and ytrrium which makes handling difficult since thorium and its decomposition products are radioactive.
For many purposes it is not particularly necessary to separate the metals, but if separation into individual metals is required, the process is complex. Initially, the metals are extracted as salts from the ores by extraction with sulphuric acid (H2SO4), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Modern purification techniques for these lanthanoid salt mixtures are ingenious and involve selective complexation techniques, solvent extractions, and ion exchange chromatography.
Pure europium is available through the electrolysis of a mixture of molten EuCl3 and NaCl (or CaCl2) in a graphite cell which acts as cathode using graphite as anode. The other product is chlorine gas.