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Erbium vs Holmium


Holmium vs Erbium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Er   
Ho   

Group Number
Not Available   
Not Available   

Period Number
6   
6   

Block
f block   
f block   

Element Family
Lanthanide   
Lanthanide   

CAS Number
7440520   
35
7440600   
29

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
P63/mmc   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
194.00   
5

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Erbium metal is used as alloyed with Vanadium to make it softer.
  • Recent studies shows that it is helpful for metabolism.
  
  • Holmium metal is very soft and malleable.
  • Holmium metal is well known for its corrosion resistivity.
  

Sources
Mining   
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Carl Gustaf Mosander   
Marc Delafontaine   

Discovery
In 1842   
In 1878   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
2 * 10-7 %   
22
5 * 10-8 %   
27

Abundance In Sun
~0.0000001 %   
26
~-9999 %   

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %   
36
0.00 %   
99+

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.00 %   
32
0.00 %   
38

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
36
0.00 %   
99+

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • It has a tendency to get tarnished in the open air, but when alloyed with elements like erbium, vanadium, its hardness levels decreases.
  • Its compounds like Erbium oxide is used in safety glasses of welders and metal workers.
  
  • Holmium metal has an ability to absorb neutrons, so this metal is used in nuclear reactors to keep the chain reactions of elements under control.
  • Alloys of Holmium are used to produce Magnet.
  

Industrial Uses
Chemical Industry   
NA   

Medical Uses
NA   
NA   

Other Uses
Alloys   
Alloys, Nuclear Research   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Mildly Toxic   
Low Toxic   

Present in Human Body
No   
No   

Physical Properties

Melting Point
1,522.00 °C   
28
1,461.00 °C   
30

Boiling Point
2,510.00 °C   
99+
2,600.00 °C   
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silvery White   
Silvery White   

Luster
Lustrous   
Metallic   

Hardness
  
  

Brinell Hardness
814.00 MPa   
11
746.00 MPa   
13

Vickers Hardness
589.00 MPa   
19
481.00 MPa   
23

Speed of Sound
2,830.00 m/s   
28
2,760.00 m/s   
30

Optical Properties
  
  

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
Er   
Ho   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
31   
8
34   
5

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.24   
36
1.23   
37

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.11   
29
1.10   
30

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.76   
18
2.77   
17

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
589.30 kJ/mol   
99+
581.00 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
1,150.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,140.00 kJ/mol   
99+

3rd Energy Level
2,194.00 kJ/mol   
99+
2,204.00 kJ/mol   
99+

4th Energy Level
4,120.00 kJ/mol   
33
4,100.00 kJ/mol   
34

Electrochemical Equivalent
2.08 g/amp-hr   
28
2.02 g/amp-hr   
29

Electron Work Function
Not Available   
Not Available   

Other Chemical Properties
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   
Chemical Stability, Anti Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
68   
99+
67   
99+

Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f12 6s2   
[Xe] 4f11 6s2   

Crystal Structure
Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP)   
Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP)   

Crystal Lattice
HCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Erbium.jpg#100   
HCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Holmium.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
68   
99+
67   
99+

Number of Neutrons
99   
33
98   
34

Number of Electrons
68   
99+
67   
99+

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
176.00 pm   
18
176.00 pm   
18

Covalent Radius
189.00 pm   
19
192.00 pm   
17

Van der Waals Radius
Not Available   
216.00 pm   
24

Atomic Weight
167.26 amu   
99+
164.93 amu   
99+

Atomic Volume
18.40 cm3/mol   
25
18.70 cm3/mol   
24

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Holmium
  
Dysprosium
  

Next Element
Thulium
  
Erbium
  

Valence Electron Potential
49.00 (-eV)   
29
47.90 (-eV)   
31

Lattice Constant
355.88 pm   
39
357.73 pm   
38

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3   
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3   

Lattice C/A Ratio
1.57   
17
1.57   
17

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
9.07 g/cm3   
99+
8.79 g/cm3   
99+

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
8.86 g/cm3   
23
8.34 g/cm3   
26

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 1000 K
0.00 (Pa)   
20
0.00 (Pa)   
16

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
28.30 GPa   
25
26.30 GPa   
28

Bulk Modulus
44.40 GPa   
27
40.20 GPa   
32

Young's Modulus
69.90 GPa   
29
64.80 GPa   
31

Poisson Ratio
0.24   
28
0.23   
29

Other Mechanical Properties
Malleable   
Ductile, Malleable, Sectile   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
9.07   
32
8.80   
35

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
0.86 nΩ·m   
99+
814.00 nΩ·m   
4

Electrical Conductivity
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+

Electron Affinity
50.00 kJ/mol   
21
50.00 kJ/mol   
21

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.17 J/(kg K)   
34
0.16 J/(kg K)   
35

Molar Heat Capacity
28.12 J/mol·K   
11
27.15 J/mol·K   
19

Thermal Conductivity
14.50 W/m·K   
99+
16.20 W/m·K   
99+

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Expansion
12.20 µm/(m·K)   
31
11.20 µm/(m·K)   
35

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
261.00 kJ/mol   
35
241.00 kJ/mol   
38

Enthalpy of Fusion
17.20 kJ/mol   
15
11.76 kJ/mol   
29

Enthalpy of Atomization
314.00 kJ/mol   
33
301.00 kJ/mol   
36

Standard Molar Entropy
73.10 J/mol.K   
11
75.30 J/mol.K   
8

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