Solvent extraction from heavy rare-earth leachate; Er2O3 is reduced with Ca or by molten-salt electrolysis.
Research Elements Er · atomic number 68 Lanthanide · period 6 [Xe] 4f12 6s2 Shells: 2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2 Valence electrons: 2 in the outer shell (6s2), and 12 in 4f12 Green dots are the outer shell's s and p electrons. Softer green dots are the d electrons of transition metals, and the d and f electrons of lanthanides and actinides: they often take part in bonding, but not always. Grey dots are the core. Ground-state configuration from the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (A. Kramida, Yu. Ralchenko, J. Reader and the NIST ASD Team). Abundance is the mole fraction of the element found as that isotope on Earth; digits in parentheses are the uncertainty in the last digits. Masses and abundances from NIST, Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions (J. S. Coursey, D. J. Schwab, J. J. Tsai and R. A. Dragoset, National Institute of Standards and Technology).Erbium
Electrons
How it's obtained
Natural isotopes
Isotope Relative atomic mass Abundance 162Er 161.9287884(20) 0.00139(5) 164Er 163.9292088(20) 0.01601(3) 166Er 165.9302995(22) 0.33503(36) 167Er 166.9320546(22) 0.22869(9) 168Er 167.9323767(22) 0.26978(18) 170Er 169.9354702(26) 0.14910(36)