Erbium(III) nitrate

Erbium nitrate is an inorganic compound, a salt of erbium and nitric acid with the chemical formula Er₃. The compound forms pink crystals, readily soluble in water. A pentahydrate and hexahydrate also exist.

Synthesis

Dissolving metallic erbium in nitric acid:
Dissolving erbium oxide or hydroxide in nitric acid:
Reaction of nitrogen dioxide with metallic erbium:

Properties

Both erbium nitrate and its crystalline hydrate decompose on heating. The hydrated erbium nitrate thermally decomposes to form ErONO₃ and then erbium oxide.

Applications

It is used to obtain metallic erbium and is also used as a chemical reagent.