Yttrium metal

Yttrium metal (CAS 7440-65-5) is a silvery, moderately soft rare earth element that sits at the boundary between the transition metals and the lanthanide series. With a single stable isotope, Y-89, it offers consistent nuclear behaviour relevant to isotopic tracing and neutron-absorption applications. SoleChem supplies yttrium metal as a sourced commodity for industrial and advanced-materials end uses across metallurgy, electronics, aerospace, and additive manufacturing.

Commercially available grades range from 2N5 to 4N purity, expressed on a rare earth metal basis, with Y/TREO (total rare earth oxides) typically ≥ 99.9 % at 4N and oxygen content held to ≤ 0.3 %. Typical physical forms include ingot, lump, chips, and dendritic pieces for lower-oxygen 4N specifications, as well as sponge, wire, foil, sputter targets, and spherical powder optimised for additive manufacturing (AM) processes. Each form is matched to a specific downstream processing route, and buyers should specify the required form and oxygen limit when enquiring.

In metallurgy and mining, yttrium metal serves as a master-alloy addition in Mg–Y and Al–Y systems and is a key constituent of WE43 magnesium alloy, where it improves elevated-temperature strength and creep resistance. It is also used for microalloying of nickel-base superalloys and as a deoxidant in specialty steel refining, where controlled oxygen scavenging at the melt stage enhances inclusion morphology.

Aerospace and defence applications draw on yttrium's high-temperature stability. Sputter-target grade material supports the physical vapour deposition (PVD) of yttria-based thermal barrier coatings on turbine components, while dendritic and high-purity ingot feed YIG (yttrium iron garnet) and YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet) crystal growth processes used in microwave devices and solid-state laser hosts.

In electronics and solar PV, yttrium metal functions primarily as a high-purity feedstock for oxide synthesis, phosphor precursors, and thin-film deposition targets. Spherical AM powder grades are supplied for laser powder-bed fusion and directed-energy deposition of yttrium-bearing overlay coatings, relevant to wear- and oxidation-resistant surface engineering in both electronics enclosure and automotive component manufacture.

Standard packaging for ingot, lump, and chip forms consists of vacuum-sealed bags under argon atmosphere, in lots of 1–25 kg, to minimise surface oxidation during storage and transit. Powder form is classified as a flammable solid (UN 3089) and is therefore not offered in this product range; all listed solid forms are handled under the standard inert-packaging protocol.

Yttrium metal is registered under REACH within the 1–10 tonnes per annum tonnage band. The applicable GHS signal word is Warning. Buyers are advised to consult the current Safety Data Sheet for full hazard, first-aid, and waste-disposal guidance before use.