Solvent extraction from heavy rare earths; Yb2O3 is reduced with La, and Yb metal distills off (Yb is unusually volatile among lanthanides).
Research Elements Yb · atomic number 70 Lanthanide · period 6 [Xe] 4f14 6s2 Shells: 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2 Valence electrons: 2 in the outer shell (6s2), and 14 in 4f14 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).Ytterbium
Electrons
How it's obtained
Natural isotopes
Isotope Relative atomic mass Abundance 168Yb 167.9338896(22) 0.00123(3) 170Yb 169.9347664(22) 0.02982(39) 171Yb 170.9363302(22) 0.1409(14) 172Yb 171.9363859(22) 0.2168(13) 173Yb 172.9382151(22) 0.16103(63) 174Yb 173.9388664(22) 0.32026(80) 176Yb 175.9425764(24) 0.12996(83)