What is yttrium used for?
By RareMetals.net Editorial Team · Updated
Yttrium is used mainly in ceramics and phosphors: yttria-stabilised zirconia for dental crowns, jet-engine coatings and oxygen sensors, and yttrium-based phosphors in white LEDs. It is also the host crystal in YAG lasers, a cancer treatment (yttrium-90), superconducting tapes and some magnesium and aluminum alloys (USGS).
Main uses of yttrium at a glance
| Application | What yttrium does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramics | Yttria stabilises zirconia so it stays tough and does not crack when heated | Dental crowns, thermal-barrier coatings on jet-engine blades, oxygen sensors |
| Phosphors | Hosts europium and cerium ions that emit light | White LEDs (YAG:Ce), older red TV and lamp phosphors |
| Lasers | Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystal hosts neodymium, erbium or holmium ions | Industrial cutting, surgery, range finders |
| Medicine | The isotope yttrium-90 delivers radiation inside a tumour | Y-90 microspheres for liver cancer |
| Superconductors and alloys | Part of YBCO, a superconductor above liquid-nitrogen temperature; strengthens magnesium and aluminum alloys | Superconducting cables, aerospace alloys |
Ceramics: stabilised zirconia
Pure zirconia cracks as it heats and cools because its crystal structure changes. A few percent of yttrium oxide locks it into a tough, stable form. Yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) is used for white dental crowns and bridges, for thermal-barrier coatings that protect jet-engine and gas-turbine blades, for the oxygen (lambda) sensors in car exhausts, and as the electrolyte in many solid oxide fuel cells.
Yttrium also goes into the bond coats (MCrAlY alloys) under those thermal barriers, where it helps the protective oxide layer stick. This aerospace use is why yttrium shortages outside China after April 2025 worried engine makers.
Phosphors and LEDs
Most white LEDs combine a blue LED chip with a yellow phosphor of cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce). Older fluorescent lamps and CRT screens used europium-doped yttrium oxide for red light.
Lasers
Yttrium aluminum garnet is the host crystal for neodymium (Nd:YAG), erbium, holmium and ytterbium lasers used in cutting, marking, range finding and surgery.
Medicine
The isotope yttrium-90 is used in radioembolisation: tiny Y-90 microspheres are delivered into the blood vessels of liver tumours. Y-90 is also used in some antibody-based treatments for lymphoma.
Superconductors and alloys
Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO), discovered in 1987, superconducts above the temperature of liquid nitrogen. Rare earth barium copper oxide tapes, often yttrium- or gadolinium-based, are used in superconducting cables and in high-field magnets for compact fusion experiments. In metallurgy, yttrium strengthens magnesium alloys (such as WE43, used in aerospace and in dissolvable medical implants) and some aluminum and nickel alloys.
Products that contain yttrium
- White LED bulbs and screens
- Zirconia dental crowns
- Car exhaust oxygen sensors
- Jet-engine turbine blade coatings
- YAG lasers in industry and medicine
Can yttrium be replaced?
In electronics, lasers and phosphors yttrium generally has no direct substitute. In zirconia ceramics, calcium oxide or magnesium oxide can stabilise zirconia, but the result is less tough (USGS).
Yttrium uses FAQ
What is yttrium used for in everyday life?
White LED lighting, zirconia dental crowns and the oxygen sensor in a car’s exhaust are the most common everyday uses.
Is yttrium used in phones?
Indirectly. Yttrium-based phosphors are used in LED backlights and flash LEDs, and yttrium compounds appear in some ceramic components, but the amounts are tiny.
Why is yttrium important for jet engines?
Yttria-stabilised zirconia coatings protect turbine blades from temperatures above the metal’s melting point, and yttrium in the bond coat keeps the protective layer attached.