Symbol: Eu
Date of discovery: 1901
Name origin: Europe
Appearance: silver
Discoverer: Eugene Demarcay
Obtained from: man-made
Melting point: 1095 K
Boiling point: 1870 K
Density[kg/m3]: 5244
Molar volume: 28.97 × 10-6 m3/mol
Protons/Electrons: 63
Neutrons: 89
Shell structure: 2,8,18,25,8,2
Electron configuration: [Xe]6s24f7
Oxidation state: 3
Crystal structure: cubic body centered
Suspecting the element samarium was contaminated with an unknown element, E. Antole, a French chemist, discovered europium in 1896. Europium is known for being the most reactive of the rare earth elements. This element is about as hard as lead and quite ductile. Europium has been used to dope plastics to make lasers, but there are no widely-used commercial applications for the element. Due to its ability to absorb neutrons, europium oxide is widely used as a red phosphor in television sets and as an activator for yttrium-based phosphors. The element is also used as an agent to manufacture fluorescent glass.