瑞士化学家让-夏尔·加利萨·德马里尼亚(Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac)于1878年发现了镱元素。他在检验硅铍钇矿时,在称为“Erbia”的氧化铒矿物中发现了新的成分。他以矿物来源地瑞典的伊特比村(Ytterby)将该物质命名为“Ytterbia”。他怀疑Ytterbia是某种新元素的化合物,并把这种元素称为“Ytterbium”,汉译为镱。[8][21]
1907年,法国化学家乔治·于尔班(Georges Urbain)发现德马里尼亚的Ytterbia物质实际上由两种不同的成分组成:Neoytterbia和Lutecia。Neoytterbia(意为“新Ytterbia”)也就是今天的镱元素,而Lutecia就成了镥元素(Lutetium)。奥地利化学家卡尔·奥尔·冯·威尔士巴赫(Carl Auer von Welsbach)在同个时期也分离出这两种物质,但他却将它们命名为“Aldebaranium”和“Cassiopeium”;[8]美国化学家查尔斯·詹姆士(Charles James)也同时独立分离出这些新元素。[23]于尔班和威尔士巴赫互相指责对方在看过自己的研究结果后才发表论文。[24][25][26]当时审理新元素命名的是由弗兰克·威格尔斯沃斯·克拉克(Frank Wigglesworth Clarke)、威廉·奥斯特瓦尔德和乔治·于尔班所组成的国际原子量委员会。委员会以于尔班最早从德马里尼亚的样本中分离出镥元素作为原因,在1909年决定采用于尔班的命名方案,从而解决了争议。[24]之后,Neoytterbium一名又改回现名Ytterbium。
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