The chemistry and scope of ytterbium  and ytterbium compounds is reviewed here. We manufacture all these compounds and in most instances with these rare earth products , it is important to know the method of manufacture, solubilities, assays and trace impurities.

Rare earth compounds were named not because the individual rare earth elements are rare but because each individual rare earth element rarely exists as a single element but a s a mixture of rare earth elements.  Ytterbium was discovered by the Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in the year 1878. Marignac found a new component in the earth then known as erbiaand named it ytterbia (after Ytterby, the Swedish village where he found the new erbia component). He suspected that ytterbia was a compound of a new element he called ytterbium. In 1907, the French chemist Georges Urbain separated Marignac's ytterbia into two components: neoytterbia and lutecia. Neoytterbia would later become known as the element ytterbium, and lutecia would later be known as the element lutetium. Auer von Welsbach independently isolated these elements from ytterbia at about the same time, but called them aldebaranium and cassiopeium.

 The composition of monozite ore is the basis for rare earth impurities found in ytterbium compounds and the level of impurities is directly related to the separation and source of these ores. The most important current (2008) sources of ytterbium are the ionic adsorption clays of southern China. The "High Yttrium" concentrate derived from some versions of these comprise about two thirds yttria by weight, and 3-4% ytterbia. As an even-numbered lanthanide, in accordance with the Oddo-Harkins rule, ytterbium is significantly more abundant than its immediate neighbors, thulium and lutetium, which occur in the same concentrate at levels of about 0.5% each.

Level of impurities:

 99.9%(REO)  1000ppm total rare earth oxide impurities

99.99%(REO)  100ppm total rare earth oxide impurities

99.999%(REO)  10ppm total rare earth oxide impurities

99.9999%(REO)  1ppm total rare earth oxide impurities

For a certificate of analysis for any of these products ordered contact: techservice@rareearthproducts.com

Ytterbium chloride, bromide and nitrates are isolated as the hexahydrates and are very soluble in water. Anhydrous halides are also available. Ytterbium acetate is somewhat soluble in water. (It is important to work with the manufacturer of your rare earth products because in the case of acetates the solubility varies widely depending on the method of manufacture and reaction conditions.

A new exciting ytterbium compound is ytterbium trifluoroacetate which is very soluble in water and has new uses as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Ytterbium oxalate, carbonate and sulfate are insoluble in water and exist as a defined hydrate. These compounds can also be dehydrated.

Another example of purchasing rare earth compounds from a known manufacturer is ytterbium fluoride. The rare earth fluorides are used in advanced material  films, lens and glasses. In virtually all applications the fluoride should be carbonate free. Rare Earth Products, Inc. uses a proprietary process to make carbonate free rare earth fluorides.

Rare earth Products, Inc makes the most extensive list of rare earth metal beta diketonates. These organometallic compounds are used for MOCVD, spin coating, catalysts and NMR shift reagents to name a few advanced applications. The compounds offered include rare earth metal complexes with

acetylacetonate or 2,4-pentanedionate ACAC

 hepatfluorodimethyloctanedionate FOD

hexafluoracetylacetonate HFAC

tetrametylheptanedionate TMHD 

trifluroacetylacetonate TFAC

chiral ligands OPT etc.

 Most of these compounds are used because of  the physical vapor pressure, volatility and organic solvent solubility. Contact our technical service department to get physical data such as melting points, sublimation temperatures,  solubility,  boiling points,  etc - techservice@rareearthproducts.com.

Rare Earth Products, Inc also manufactures the organic soluble compounds ytterbium 2-ethylhexanoate and ytterbium cyclohexanebutyrate. These metal organic  compounds are soluble in organic solvents. We can also custom synthesize various rare earth compounds by adding various ligands, dehydrating and coordinating various organic solvents to enhance non polar solubility. Contact techservice@rareearthproducts.com.

The intermetallics ytterbium sulfide, ytterbium selenide and ytterbium telluride are available upon request. Ytterbium trifluoromethanesulfonate or ytterbium triflate is available and useful as a Friedel -Crafts catalyst as the anhydrous salt or the hydrate. A new compound ytterbium thenoyltrifluoroacetonate is used as a thermal laser dye.