Acquired Holmium Metal (Ho)
Here’s an intriguing rare earth metal:Holmium (Ho)though I occasionally confuse its symbol with Hafnium (Hf)Hafnium is a transition metal, not a rare earths
The name “Holmium” derives from Holmia,the Latin name for Stockholm, honoring its Swedish discovery. However, I appreciate the serendipitous overlap with the Chinese surname Ho , a nod to China’s dominance in rare earth production and refining—a sector they command with ~60% global supply.??
I acquired this 99.9% pure Holmium primarily for its sharp, well-defined absorbance and transmittance spectra, which make it a calibration standard in spectroscopy. Its magnetocaloric properties also intrigued me, though my DIY experiments (using ice cubes and infrared thermometers) to detect temperature changes remain inconclusive—perhaps due to insufficient sensitivity or sample size.??
-Medical Uses:Holmium lasers are widely employed in urology for laser lithotripsy(urinary stone ablation) etc
-Reacts vigorously with dilute HCl, producing hydrogen gas (H?) and a colorless Ho?? solution. Notably, my sample lacks an oxide layer, ideal for reflectance spectroscopy.??
-XRF Testing:Conducted to confirm elemental purity (no significant impurities detected).??
- Spectral Alignment:Matches quite well with NIST Standard Reference Material 2034 Holmium Oxide Solution Wavelength Standard), a 30-year-stable reference for spectrophotometry.??
Attachments
- Sample image : Ho metal??after HCl??reaction having almost the same pristine appearance.
- Absorbance/transmittance spectra in Dil HCl
- Reference standards report.??(Based on Ho oxide liquid wavelength)
Xrf?
Files and pics provided?
Thanks?