Erbium Boride

See more Boron products. Boron (atomic symbol: B, atomic number: 5) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 2 element with an atomic weight of 10.81. The number of electrons in each of boron's shells is 2, 3 and its electron configuration is [He] 2s² 2p¹. The boron atom has a radius of 90 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 192 pm. Boron was discovered by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard in 1808 and was first isolated by Humphry Davy later that year. Boron is classified as a metalloid is not found naturally on earth. Along with carbon and nitrogen, boron is one of the few elements in the periodic table known to form stable compounds featuring triple bonds. Boron has an energy band gap of 1.50 to 1.56 eV, which is higher than that of either silicon or germanium. The name Boron originates from a combination of carbon and the Arabic word buraqu meaning borax.

See more Erbium products. Erbium (atomic symbol: Er, atomic number: 68) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element with an atomic radius of 167.259. The number of electrons in each of Erbium's shells is [2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2] and its electron configuration is [Xe]4f¹² 6s². The erbium atom has a radius of 176 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 235 pm. Erbium was discovered by Carl Mosander in 1843. Sources of Erbium include the mineral monazite and sand ores. Erbium is a member of the lanthanide or rare earth series of elements. In its elemental form, erbium is soft and malleable. It is fairly stable in air and does not oxidize as rapidly as some of the other rare earth metals. Erbium's ions fluoresce in a bright pink color, making them highly useful for imaging and optical applications. It is named after the Swedish town Ytterby where it was first discovered.