Terbium is a rare-earth element found in minerals, mainly in China. It is used in X-ray machines, color TV tubes, lasers, and semiconductors. Terbium is mildly toxic and should be handled with care.
Terbium is a metallic chemical element classified in the rare earth elements, also known as lanthanides, of the periodic table of elements. It is not found in pure form in nature, but can be recovered from an assortment of minerals; China is the source of much of the world’s terbium. Like other rare-earth elements, terbium is relatively well distributed on Earth, but is not widely used; most consumers do not interact with terbium, although they may own some products with terbium components.
When terbium is isolated, it is silvery gray and relatively soft and easy to work with. The element has a crystalline structure and at least two allotropic forms, which means that the structure of the element can vary when in the solid state, depending on the circumstances. On the periodic table of elements, terbium is identified with the symbol Tb, and its atomic number is 65. The element also has a number of isotopes and salts that are used in various applications.
The discovery of the element is credited to Carl Mosander, who was experimenting with minerals from Ytterby, a town in Sweden. Mosander also discovered many other elements, and was also a chemistry teacher at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. He discovered terbium in 1843, when he identified an impurity in another element, yttrium. The element was named for Yttrby, a seemingly fruitful place for the discovery of new elements as it also lent its name to yttrium, ytterbium, and erbium.
The element is used in some X-ray machines and color television tubes as well. It is also used as a dopant in lasers and semiconductors and is alloyed with a number of other metals for various purposes. Various terbium isotopes are used in research. Most of the world’s terbium comes from the mineral bastnaesite, which is treated with solvents to extract the useful elements it contains.
As is the case with other rare earth elements, terbium is mildly toxic and thus people should probably avoid exposure if possible. Inhalation of terbium dust or fumes should be avoided by wearing face shields, and radioactive isotopes of terbium should be handled in controlled environments under the supervision of persons familiar with radioactive materials.
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