Europium Eu (Element) 63 of Periodic Table

63 Eu (Europium)

Europium is a soft silvery metal, hard as lead and is quit ductile.
It is the most reactive metal, quickly oxidizing in air and seem like calcium in its reaction with water.
It Ignites quickly in air at about 150 ^oC to 180 ^oC.
With the development of ion-exchange techniques and special processes, the cost of the metal has been greatly reduced in recent years.

Identity
CAS Number: CAS7440-53-1
CID Number:  CID23981

Basic Properties of Europium

Pronunciation:  Yoor-oh-pee-am
Appearance:  Silvery white, with a pale yellow tint (but it rarely seen without oxide discoloration)
Mass Number:  152
Standard Atomic weight:  151.964 g/mol
Atomic number (Z):  63
Electrons: 63
Protons:  63
Neutrons:  89
Period:  6
Block:  f
Element category:  Lanthanide
Electrons per shell:  K2, L8, M18, N25, O8, P2
Electron configuration:  1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶3d¹⁰4s²4p⁶4d¹⁰5s²5p⁶4f⁷6s² 

Thermal Properties of Europium

Phase:  Solid
Melting point:  1099 K (826 ^oC, 1519 ^oF)
Boiling point:   1802 K (1529 ^oC, 2784 ^oF)
Fusion heat:  9.21 kJ/mol
Vaporization heat:  176 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity:  27.66 J/(mol.K)
Thermal expansion:  poly: 35.0 μm/(m∙K)
Thermal conductivity:  est. 13.9 W/(m∙K)
Neel Point (magnetic ordering temperature) T_N:   90.5 K (Temperature, above which an antiferromagnetic material becomes paramagnetic)

Electrical properties of Europium

Electrical conductivity: 1.1×10⁶ S/m
a Electrical resistivity:  poly: 0.900 μΩ∙m
a Electrical type:  Conductor
Critical point (Superconducting point):  1.8 K (value measured at 80 GPa)

Magnetic Properties of Europium

a Magnetic type:  Paramagnetic
Magnetic susceptibility (x_mol):  +34,000×10^-6 cm³/mol
Volume magnetic susceptibility:  0.0014473
Mass magnetic susceptibility:  276×10^-9 m³/kg
Molar magnetic susceptibility:  41.942×10^-9 m³/mol

Physical Properties of Europium

Density:  5.264 g/cm³ (In solid)  5.13 g/cm³ (In Liquid)
Molar volume:  0.00002898 m³/mol
Young’s modulus:  18.2 GPa
Shear modulus:  7.9 GPa
Bulk modulus:  8.3 GPa
Poisson ratio:  0.152
Mohs hardness:  3.7
Vicker hardness:  165-200 MPa
Sound Speed:  2680 m/s

Atomic Properties of Europium 

Oxidation states:  3,2
Valence Electrons:  4f⁷ 6s²
Ion charge:  Eu³⁺ Eu²⁺
Ionization energies:  1st: 547.1 kJ.mol 2nd: 1085 kJ/mol 3rd: 2404 kJ/mol
Ionic radius:   94.7 pm
Atomic radius:  233 pm (Van der Waals)
Covalent radius:  198±6 pm
Filling Orbital:  4f⁷
Crystal structure:  Body-centered cubic
Lattice angles:  π/2, π/2, π/2
Lattice constant:  458.1, 458.1, 458.1 pm
Grid parameters:  4.581 Å
Space Group Name:  lm_3m
Space Group Number:  229

Reactivity of Europium

Electronegativity:  pauling scale: 1.2
Valence:  +3
Electron affinity:  50 kJ/mol

Nuclear Properties of Europium

Half Life:  Stable (Infinity) 
Lifetime:  Stable (Infinity)
Quantum Number:  ⁸S_7/2
Neutron cross section (Brans):  4450
Neutron Mass Absorption:  0.6
Isotopes:  150_Eu 151_Eu 152_Eu 153_Eu 154_Eu 155_Eu

Isotope	Abundance (%)	Atomic Mass g/mol	Half Life (t1/2)
150Eu	Syn	–	36.9 y
151Eu	47.8	150.920	5×1018 y
152Eu	Syn	–	13.54 y
153Eu	52.2	152.921	Stable
154Eu	Eyn	–	8.59 y
155Eu	Syn	–	4.76 y

Chemical Reactions

Europium burns readily at 150 ^oC to form Europium (lll) oxide:
4 Eu + 3 O₂ → 2 Eu₂O₃
Reacts with water:
2 Eu (s) + 6 H₂O (g) → 2 Eu(OH)₃ (aq) + 3 H₂ (g)
The metal reacts with all Halogens to form Europium (lll) halides:
2 Eu (s) + 3 F₂ (g) → 2 EuF₃ (s)  [white]  (Europium (lll) fluoride)
2 Eu (s) + 3 Cl₂ (g) → 2 EuCl₃ (s)  [yellow]  (Europium (lll) chloride)
2 Eu (s) + 3 Br₂ (g) → 2 EuBr₃ (s)  [gray]  (Europium (lll) bromide)
2 Eu (s) + 3 I₂ (g) → 2 EuI₃ (s)            (Europium (lll) iodide)
Dissolves readily in dilute sulfuric acid to form hydrated Europium (lll) (pale pink solution):
2 Eu + 3 H₂SO₄ + 18 H₂O → 2 [Eu(H₂O)₉]³⁺ + 3 SO₄²⁻ + 3 H₂

Europium History

Naming:  After Europe
Discovery:  Eugène-Anatole Demarçay(1896, 1901)

Europium Uses

Europium is excellent neutrons absorber, It used in control rods of nuclear reactors.
It glows red under UV light.
For Powerful street lighting, Low-energy light bulbs(mercury vapour lamps) contain a little europium to give a more natural light, by balancing the blue (cold) light with a little red (warm) light.

A Salt (oxide) of europiums is used for newer phosphorescent (Glow in the dark) powder and paints.
Europium-doped plastic has been used as a laser material.

Biological role:  It is Low-toxic, But it should be handled with care.

Abundance of Europium

Europium is chiefly Found in the minerals monazite and bastnaesite.
It is Prepared by mixing Europium (III) oxide (Eu₂O₃) with a 10%-excess of lanthanum metal and heating the mixture under high vacuum in a tantalum crucible, and It’s collected as a silvery-white metallic deposit on the crucible wall.

Annual world wide production is around 400 tons.
5×10^-8% (In Universe)
5.9×10^-6% (In Meteorites)
5×10^-8% (In Sun)
0.00018% (In Earth’s Crust)
1.3×10^-11% (In Oceans)

World’s Top 3 producers of Europium

1) China
2) Russia
3) Malaysia

World’s Top 3 Reserve holders of Europium

1) China
2) CIS Countries (inc. Russia)
3) USA

#Europium

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