Element 70 · Lanthanide (Rare Earth)
Ytterbium
Ytterbium powers some of the most precise atomic clocks ever built — and stress sensors in earthquake detection.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Yb
ATOMIC NO.
70
ATOMIC WEIGHT
173.05
CATEGORY
Lanthanide (Rare Earth)
PERIOD
Period 6
GROUP
Group 3
Background
Ytterbium was discovered in 1878 by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac at the University of Geneva, who separated it from erbium oxide. Named after Ytterby, Sweden — the famous feldspar quarry near Stockholm that yielded yttrium, erbium, terbium, and ytterbium (and whose name is the root of all four). Ytterbium found commercial application as a dopant in ytterbium-doped fibre lasers — now the dominant type of high-power industrial laser — and in telecommunications fibre amplifiers.
The Basics
Ytterbium is element 70, named after Ytterby. Has unusual properties including a stress-induced electrical conductivity change used in pressure sensors.
Industrial Uses
Ytterbium-doped fibre lasers for industrial cutting and welding. Ultra-precise optical atomic clocks (the most accurate timekeeping ever achieved). Stress sensors for earthquake monitoring and structural engineering.
Scrap Viability
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Ytterbium:
Specialist applications only. No consumer-level scrap market.
What It's Worth
Ytterbium oxide trades at approximately £10–40/kg. Not a standard scrap material. Primarily sourced from Chinese rare earth refining.