Yttrium oxide (yttria)
Y₂O₃The primary traded form and a feedstock for ceramics, phosphors, and other yttrium compounds.
Y39
Yttrium
Not a lanthanide, but produced and priced like one.
Chemically tracks the heavy lanthanides and is always counted with the HREEs.
Yttrium sits in Group 3 of the periodic table rather than among the lanthanides, but it is classified and traded as a rare earth because it is chemically similar to the heavy rare earths and is produced alongside them from the same ion-adsorption clay deposits. Its leading uses are as an oxide, known as yttria, in ceramics and phosphors, and as a stabilizer in yttria-stabilized zirconia — a tough, ion-conductive ceramic used in solid oxide fuel cells and thermal barrier coatings.
Uses
- Yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) is a host crystal for lasers; yttrium compounds also contribute to LED phosphors.
- Yttrium is added to alloys to improve their properties.
- Yttrium compounds are used in optical glass and specialist ceramics.
Key Facts
- Atomic number
- 39
- Primary supply
- Co-product of heavy-rare-earth clay processing
- Key constraint
- No US commercial separation; 100% net import reliance
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Isotope reference
Isotopes & Nuclear Properties
Yttrium is monoisotopic in normal terrestrial material: Y-89 is its only natural isotope and is stable. Radioactive Y-90 used in medicine is not part of this natural-abundance table.
| Isotope | Natural abundance | Half-life / status |
|---|---|---|
| ⁸⁹Y | 100% | Stable |
CIAAW amount-fraction uncertainties are shown in parentheses where reported. “Stable” means no radioactive half-life is assigned in this table.
Abundances are CIAAW amount fractions converted to percentages for normal terrestrial material; parentheses give uncertainty in the final digits. “Stable” means no decay is established in the cited evaluation, not that all decay modes are impossible. Natural abundance and nuclear stability do not establish chemical safety; enriched or activated material needs separate assessment.
Pricing & Market Trends
Market Context
$9/kgup trend
Y₂O₃ (yttria), 99.999% minimum, free on board • As of 2025 average
The USGS-reported yttria average moved from $6/kg in 2021 to $12/kg in 2022, $8/kg in 2023, $6/kg in 2024, and $9/kg in 2025. Yttrium metal at 99.9% minimum averaged $40/kg in 2025 and remained near $33–$41/kg over the same period.
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Yttrium (February 2026)
Key Drivers
- Ceramics and phosphor demand
- Fuel-cell and thermal-coating YSZ demand
- Supply tied to overall HREE clay output
Common Yttrium Compounds
Yttria-stabilized zirconia
YSZA tough, ion-conductive ceramic used in solid oxide fuel cells and thermal barrier coatings.
Yttrium-aluminum-garnet
Y₃Al₅O₁₂A host crystal used in lasers and LED phosphors.
Direct Answers
Yttrium questions, answered
What is yttrium used for?
Yttrium’s leading uses are in ceramics and phosphors. It is also used as yttria-stabilized zirconia in fuel cells and thermal coatings, and as yttrium-aluminum-garnet crystals in lasers and LED phosphors.
What is yttria-stabilized zirconia?
Yttria-stabilized zirconia is made by adding yttrium oxide to zirconia, stabilizing its crystal structure and giving it high toughness and ionic conductivity for solid oxide fuel cells and thermal barrier coatings.
Is yttrium a rare earth?
Yes, by convention. Although yttrium sits in Group 3 rather than the lanthanide series, it is chemically similar to the heavy rare earths and is produced from the same ore deposits, so it is classified and traded alongside them.