What is Yttrium atom?

   

 Yttrium is a chemical element with the symbol Y and atomic number 39.  It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and has often been classified as a "rare-earth element".  Yttrium is almost always found in combination with lanthanide elements in rare-earth minearls, and is never found in nature as a free element.  89Y is the only stable isotope, and the only isotope found in the Earth's crust.  

     Yttrium has no know biological role.  Exposure to Yttrium compounds can cause lung disease in humans. The name is historical and comes from the village of Ytterby, in Sweden where, in 1787, the famous chemist Arrhenius found a new mineral and named it Ytterbite.

     The most important uses of yttrium are LEDs and phosphors, particularly the red phosphors in television set cathode ray tube displays.  Yttrium is also used in the production of electrodes, electrolytes, electronic filters, lasers, superconductors various medical applications and tracing  various materials to enhance their properties.