Holmium

holmium

MATERIAL OVERVIEW

Characteristics: Elemental holmium is a crystalline rare earth element, relatively soft and malleable with a silvery-white metallic luster. Soluble in dilute acids. It is too reactive to be found uncombined in nature, but when isolated, is relatively stable in dry air at room temperature. However, it reacts slowly with water and rusts readily, and will also burn in air when heated. Holmium has the highest magnetic strength (10.6 µB) of any element and therefore is used for the pole-pieces of the strongest static magnets, as well as other magnetic properties: when combined with yttrium, it forms highly magnetic compounds, is paramagnetic at ambient conditions and ferromagnetic at temperatures below 19 K

Derivation: Holmium is found in the minerals monazite and gadolinite, and is usually commercially extracted from monazite using ion exchange techniques, but is still difficult to separate from other rare earths.

Holmium has the highest magnetic strength of any element and is used to create the strongest artificially generated magnetic fields. Since it can absorb nuclear fission-bred neutrons, it is also used as a burnable poison to regulate nuclear reactors. For medical applications, holmium is used in yttrium based solid-state lasers found in microwave equipment which in turn finds it’s way into medical and dental practice.

Holmium is also a colorant used for cubic zirconia and glass by yielding a yellow or red coloring. Glass containing holmium oxide and holmium oxide solutions are used as a calibration standard for optical spectrophotometers.

Hazards: Holmium has a low level of acute toxicity, however, large amounts of holmium salts can cause severe damage if inhaled, consumed orally, or injected. The biological effects of holmium over a long period of time are not known.

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GENERAL PROPERTIES

Symbol:

Ho

Atomic Number:

67

Atomic Weight:

164.9304

Density:

8.795 gm/cc

Melting Point:

1474 oC

Boiling Point:

2695 oC

Thermal Conductivity:

0.162 W/cm/K @ 298.2 K

Electrical Resistivity:

87.0 microhm-cm @ 25 oC

Electronegativity:

1.2 Paulings

Specific Heat:

0.0393 Cal/g/K @ 25 oC

Heat of Vaporization:

67 K-Cal/gm atom at 2695 oC

Heat of Fusion:

4.10 Cal/gm mole

Thermal Neutron Cross Section:

64 Barns per Atom

 

TYPICAL ANALYSES - Impurities in ppm

Material / Purity:

3N REO              

Er <200
Dy <200
Tb <200
Tm <200
Y <10

HOLMIUM ROD

Material

Purity

Holmium Rod .250” 3N
Holmium Rod .500” 3N

Rod is made to order and sold by the inch. Call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional diameters or custom sizes.

HOLMIUM FOIL

Material

Purity

Holmium Foil .001” 3N
Holmium Foil .002” 3N
Holmium Foil .003” 3N
Holmium Foil .004” 3N
Holmium Foil .005” 3N
Holmium Foil .006” 3N
Holmium Foil .007” 3N
Holmium Foil .008” 3N
Holmium Foil .009” 3N

Foil is made to order and sold by the square inch. Call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional thicknesses or custom sizes.

HOLMIUM SHEET

Material

Purity

Holmium Sheet .010”
3N
Holmium Sheet .020" 3N
Holmium Sheet .024" 3N
Holmium Sheet .040" 3N

Sheet thicknesses are available in increments of .001", made to order and sold by the square inch. Call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional thicknesses or custom sizes.

HOLMIUM SPUTTERING TARGETS

Material

Purity

Holmium Sputtering Target 2"D X .125"T 3N
Holmium Sputtering Target 2"D X .250"T 3N
Holmium Sputtering Target 3"D X .125"T 3N
Holmium Sputtering Target 3"D X .250"T 3N
Holmium Sputtering Target 4"D X .125"T 3N
Holmium Sputtering Target 4"D X .250"T 3N

Targets are made to order and packaged individually. Call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional diameters, thicknesses or custom sizes.

HOLMIUM POWDER & INGOT

Material

Purity

Holmium Chips 3N
Holmium Ingot  3N
Holmium Powder -40 Mesh, Ampoules Under Dry Argon  camera1 3N
Holmium Powder -40 Mesh, Cans Under Dry Argon  camera1  camera1 3N

Powder, chips, and ingots are packaged to order and sold by the gram or kilogram. Call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional specifications or custom requirements.

HOLMIUM COMPOUNDS

Material

Purity

Holmium Chloride HoCl3 msds1
3N
Holmium Fluoride HoF3 msds1 3N
Holmium Oxide Ho2O3 -325 Mesh msds1 3N, 5N

Compounds are packaged to order and sold by the gram or kilogram. Call or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional specifications or custom requirements.

 

Material Safety Data Sheet - MSDS

Holmium MSDS

Holmium Foil MSDS

Holmium Powder MSDS

Technical Data Sheets
Understanding Mesh Sizes