Europium
📺 In Your World
Europium is the element that made color television possible. Its compounds are brilliant red phosphors that were used to create the red color on old CRT TV screens. It's still used today in fluorescent lamps and some LEDs to provide a warmer, more natural light. Because its glow is so unique, it's also used as a security feature in Euro banknotes to prevent counterfeiting.
📖 The Discovery Story
The discovery of europium was a process of untangling it from other rare earth elements. In 1890, French chemist Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran noticed spectral lines that didn't belong to samarium or gadolinium. However, it was another French chemist, Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, who definitively isolated the element in 1901. He named it "europium" after the continent of Europe.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 826 °C / 1519 °F |
| Boiling Point | 1529 °C / 2784 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f⁷6s² |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 0.0002% |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Europium is the most reactive of the rare earth elements. It ignites in air at temperatures around 150-180 °C and reacts with water similarly to calcium. It should be stored under an inert fluid to prevent oxidation. Like other lanthanides, it is considered to have low to moderate toxicity.