71
Lutetium
Atomic Number71
Atomic Mass175.0 u
CategoryLanthanide
State at Room TempSolid
Year Discovered1907
About Lutetium
The last and hardest lanthanide, named after Lutetia, the Roman name for Paris, by a French discoverer. The densest and rarest of the rare earth metals. Crystals doped with lutetium detect gamma rays in PET medical scanners and radiation security equipment. Also a catalyst in petroleum refining and useful in dating ancient meteorites.
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