Holmium

Holmium, Ho, is a soft silvery metallic element, which is found in the lanthanide series of inner transition metals in Group IIIa of the periodic table.

Atomic Number : 67
Relative Atomic Mass : 164.93
Melting Point : 1472 degC
Boiling Point : 2700 degC
Relative Density : 8.795

Discovery

Holmium was discovered by Delafontaine and Soret in 1878 AD.

Occurrence

Holmium occurs with the rare earths in their ores.

Extraction

Holmium is separated from other rare earths by ion exchange chromatography.

Preparation

Holmium is prepared by reducing the anhydrous chloride with calcium.

Properties

Holmium is a soft malleable silvery metal, which is stable in air.

Holmium has unusual magnetic properties.

Uses

Holmium is used in the filters used for the calibration of the wavelength settings in UV spectrophotometers.

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