Holmium Research Paper

Holmium is a chemical element and is the sixty seventh element on the periodic table. It is located in Period six and it is a member of the lanthanide group. It was discovered in 1879 by a Swedish chemist named Per Theodor Cleve. Like Carl Gustaf Monsander who discovered the elements lanthanum, erbium and terbium Theodor also used similar strategy's to find contaminants in the oxides of uncommon earth elements. He first looked at the oxide of erbium and was able to split it into two types of materials one being brown and the other green. This in turn caused Theodor to find the oxide of holmium (it was the brown material which is known as holmia) and this was how the element holmium was discovered.
Holmium is a bright sliver colored lustrous metal and is malleable causing it to be very soft. On the other hand for chemical properties holmium is stable at room temperature and dry air. When it is cooled or heated, or placed in moist air, it tends to become more reactive/oxidized. This causes holmium like most earth metals to also be dissolvable in acids and to have a low acute toxic rating. Finally environmentally holmium doesn't cause any damage or threats to plants and

animals.
In today's world holmium is now used in nuclear reactors because of its ability to absorb neutrons and it is also used in specialized lasers.

These lasers can be used for such things as to reduce abnormal eye pressure, to treat glaucoma (an eye disorder), and to repair failed glaucoma surgeries. Holmium is also used for its ability as a magnet. For example, holmium may be used in a high strength magnet such as in a magnetic-flux concentrator to create a strong artificially generated magnetic field. It may also be used in the future since scientists are still learning more about this elements distinct magnetic properties. But, for now all we know about holmium is that it has no role biologically and that it is also not toxic. Scientists however have suspicions that holmium may stimulate

metabolism.
This rare metal can be found in rare earth minerals, but it is mostly taken from monazite and sometimes bastanasite since it is not found in nature as a free element. Holmium is isolated from its anhydrous salt by the use of calcium as a reducing agent. It has only one naturally occurring isotope known as holmium-165. Their are however at least twenty radioactive isotopes that exist. Holmium is produced through mining in places such as the United States of America, China, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka and Australia. About ten tons of this substance is produced worldwide every year.