Erbium is known as a chemical compound grouped with the lanthanides in the periodic table, it has an atomic number of 68, its atomic weight is equivalent to 167.2, and it is represented by the initials Er, it only makes use of six isotopes that They are relatively stable, this element is one of those that presents greater stability when it is in constant contact with air, therefore its oxidation is a little slower when compared to other rare metals, like the other elements it has a color silvery accompanied by a permanent shine, it is characterized by being one of the softest metalsand it is highly malleable, it has magnetism due to the iron property that is modified at a certain low temperature, however if it is in extreme cold its ferromagnetic capacity increases significantly.
The origin of the name Erbium is shared with the chemical element Terbium, both come from the word Ytterby, this being the name of a Swedish city where the discoverer of both elements called Carl Gustaf Mosander lived, he separated the salt from " ytiria " obtaining three compounds To which I denominate as ititira, erbium and terbium, he chose those names not only because it was his hometown, it was also the region in which great sources of these elements were found. According to the similarity of the nomenclature of both metals they were confused by the years 1843, the element erbium was assigned the name of terbium and vice versa, It was not until 1877 that the error in the names for both chemical compounds was deduced, in the same year it was ruled that despite their similarities, erbium and terbium are totally different metals so they behave differently from different established reactions.
There are various applications for erbium metal within which can be listed, photographic filter material to change the coloration of the image, due to its resistance it is very useful in the area of metallurgy, due to its stability it has the ability to buffer neutrons and for this reason it is used in the nuclear field, according to the fact that when it is oxidized it has a pink pigmentation, it is used as a colorant for glasses and enamels for porcelain pieces.
