Element 39 · Transition Metal
Yttrium
Yttrium provides the red phosphor in colour displays — and stabilises the zirconia in engine components.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Y
ATOMIC NO.
39
ATOMIC WEIGHT
88.91
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 5
GROUP
Group 3
Origins
Yttrium was discovered in 1794 by Johan Gadolin at Åbo Academy in Finland, extracting it from the mineral gadolinite found at the Ytterby quarry near Stockholm — the same quarry that yielded erbium, terbium, and ytterbium. Named after the village. Yttrium’s commercial breakthrough came in the 1960s when yttrium vanadate doped with europium became the standard red phosphor in colour television tubes. Later, yttrium-aluminium garnet (YAG) became the basis for the most widely used solid-state laser.
Key Properties
Yttrium is element 39, technically a transition metal but chemically grouped with the rare earths. Named for Ytterby village in Sweden — the most prolific source of element discoveries ever.
Modern Applications
YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet) crystals in lasers. Yttrium oxide phosphors for red emission in displays and lamps. Yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) for solid oxide fuel cells, dental ceramics, and engine thermal barrier coatings. High-temperature superconductors (YBCO).
At the Yard
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Yttrium:
Like other rare earths, yttrium exists in commercial products at low concentrations and recovery requires specialist processing.
Market Value
Yttrium oxide trades at approximately £4–18/kg. Not a standard scrap material, sourced mainly from Chinese rare earth refining.